Fast Time with an Enfield

[lyman]

interesting vid,,


just made the 4 in a minute


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFbfhtw8VwA

[SteveC]

Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing Lyman!

Steve

[Art]

An interesting comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpoDO9uucNw

"British Muzzleloaders" and, to a lesser extent, "Bloke on the Range" have a whole bunch of excellent videos on British small arms techniques and training up through WW II. as well as period correct uniforms and accoutrements. Any interest in how the Brits did it - just go to those sites.

Some of the comments on this one are pretty funny.

[lyman]

Art,

both of those sights show some interesting vids,
lots of historical content as well

[Vern Humphrey]

Of course, the old American trick could beat that. During the Revolution, Washington ordered all cartridges made up for the American Army to contain buckshot as well as a full-sized ball -- ultimately standardizing on 3 buck and 1 ball.

So a good British unit could get off 3 rounds a minute (of unaimed fire) and an American unit might get off 2 rounds -- but that meant 8 projectiles.

[Art]

Of course, the old American trick could beat that. During the Revolution, Washington ordered all cartridges made up for the American Army to contain buckshot as well as a full-sized ball -- ultimately standardizing on 3 buck and 1 ball.

So a good British unit could get off 3 rounds a minute (of unaimed fire) and an American unit might get off 2 rounds -- but that meant 8 projectiles.

"Buck and ball" (a round ball over three buckshot pellets) had its place but its effective range was under 50 yards. It was especially popular with units like The Irish Brigade which were issued smoothbores but was also used with rifled muskets. I know a few people who are authorities on this who tell me that many, perhaps most Union and Confederate troops in the civil war would carry a few cartridges loaded with "buck and ball" for when it got really up close and dirty.

[Merc]

Buck and ball from WV plus two .58 caliber Minie balls.

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[Sunray]

"...During the Revolution..." The Rebellion, you mean. snicker.
"...of unaimed fire..." Nope. What made the Brits such a big deal of an army was the aiming of that 3 rounds per minute. Everybody else just pointed.
Buck and ball increased fire power. Muskets were not much more effective at 50. A guy who was hit at 100 was extremely unfortunate.

[Art]

"...During the Revolution..." The Rebellion, you mean. snicker.
"...of unaimed fire..." Nope. What made the Brits such a big deal of an army was the aiming of that 3 rounds per minute. Everybody else just pointed.
Buck and ball increased fire power. Muskets were not much more effective at 50. A guy who was hit at 100 was extremely unfortunate.

Correct, I read an assessment by a Brit writing in the 18th century that can be summed up as follows:

This fellow stated that the accurate range of a common musket was 50 yards....

and that a properly loaded musket with a straight barrel (not all were) had a chance of hitting a target the size of a man at 75 yards.

Finally, me said he would give a cash reward to anyone who could prove that any human being had been hit at 100 yards by a common musket that was aimed at him.

[Merc]

I weighed my musket and Minie balls on a digital scale and the average weight was 400 grains for the .69 cal musket balls and 500 grains for the .58 cal Minie balls.

The standard black powder charge was 60 to 70 grains which would produce a muzzle velocity of around 1000 FPS.

The obvious problem with the round musket ball is its non-aerodynamic shape that caused it to have an unpredictable trajectory and to lose it’s energy quickly.

The aerodynamic Minie ball exits the muzzle spinning which gives it a predictable trajectory. It’s shape would allow it to travel several hundred yards and still be deadly if it hit it’s target.

Both were extremely heavy projectiles and were killers within their useful ranges. They would cause horrific wounds if they struck a limb bone leaving amputation as the only alternative.