Muzzle-loading blackpowder question.

[Razgovory]

Been play a lot of Sid Meier's Gettysburg! recently and have a question about the muzzle loader black powder guns.  I remember reading somewhere the quick swab done during the average loading drill is insufficient to clear all the fouling and residue in the weapon.  Over time this builds up and the weapon becomes less accurate (and I assume non-functional at a certain point).  My question was did soldiers have a drill to fall back from the main line after so many shots so they could give the weapon a good cleaning?  If so, how many shots was optimal before fouling really effected the weapon? 

I realize this cover a large time span and many possible countries, so there can be a wide variety of answers due to technology and doctrine.

[derspiess]

Not sure, but I would think they'd just keep firing until they had a misfire.

Haven't played that game in ages, but I still remember the Southern dude saying "This is yo' best brigaaade."

[MadImmortalMan]

The average soldier probably didn't carry enough ammo to have to worry about it. I have no idea though.

[Ed Anger]

Haven't played that game in ages, but I still remember the Southern dude saying "This is yo' best brigaaade."

THANKS A LOT. Now I want to play.

MEW.

[Caliga]

Muzzle loader blackpowder rifles aren't really that accurate anyway.  I have fired them but not more than like 2-3 times at once so I don't know how quickly black powder residue builds up or at what point it becomes a problem.  I would assume they probably cleaned it between every engagement.  I clean my rifle after every shoot even though I probably don't need to... it's always pretty damn dirty tho.

[11B4V]

  I clean my rifle after every shoot even though I probably don't need to... it's always pretty damn dirty tho.

Raz, should be swabbed after a few shots. BP is dirty and accuracy will fall off even more without a swab after every couple of shots. Real BP is dirty and highly corosive. Complete cleaning of the weapon after an engagment would have been a must.

Cal, I hope your throughly cleaning after BP shooting, unless you are using certain BP dirvetives that are non-corosive nowadays.

[11B4V]

Oh, and rifled civil war muzzleloaders could be acceptionally accurate. Dont confuse a rifled muzzleloader in the hands of a recruit to one being handled by a well trained soldier.

Minié bullet

[11B4V]

Also, pay attention to lead fouling. The "patch" did have a use. Read about the "Paper patch bullets" and "lubed bullets" and why.

I believe they even used a swipe of animal fat concoctions over the cylinders of a BP cap and ball revolver. I know I use crisco instead of the knewer lubed wads.

Forgtive my spelling I just woke up.

[Razgovory]

I think a swab or two was part of the standard reloading drill, but I was led to believe that wouldn't be enough.  The gun can lock up or worse after repeated usage.  I was wondering if after say 10-20 shots a line would fall back and perhaps another one take it's place.  Or maybe just charge (especially in earlier eras).

Probably something Grumbler would know.

[Ed Anger]

Probably something Grumbler would know.

He was with Earl Van Dorn when he got shot.

[11B4V]

Probably something Grumbler would know.

He was with Earl Van Dorn when he got shot.

[11B4V]

I think a swab or two was part of the standard reloading drill, but I was led to believe that wouldn't be enough.  The gun can lock up or worse after repeated usage.  I was wondering if after say 10-20 shots a line would fall back and perhaps another one take it's place.  Or maybe just charge (especially in earlier eras).

Probably something Grumbler would know.

There's not that many moving parts on a Civil War rifle. They were perecussion ignited also.

"The British army adopted it in 1834 after comparing the results of 6,000 test rounds fired from flintlock and percussion firearms. The flintlocks misfired 922 times (15 percent of the time), while only 36 (0.6 percent) of the percussion weapons misfired."


If that helps

[Pishtaco]

I was just reading about this, in a Bruce Catton book. He mentions it in a couple of places. One of the citations is "The History of the 24th Michigan of the Iron Brigade", which is available on Google Books, and says on page 243, about the battle of Spotsylvania Court House:

Standing in deep mud and keeping up a constant fire for hours and till after midnight, the men's muskets became so foul that details were made to clean the guns while their comrades kept up the fire. The men were so weary (having been under fire night and day for week) that some lay down in the mud under the enemy's fire slept and soundly amid the thunders of battle, despite all efforts to arouse them During the night the remnant of the Twenty fourth used 5,000 rounds of cartridges at this spot.

[Caliga]

Cal, I hope your throughly cleaning after BP shooting, unless you are using certain BP dirvetives that are non-corosive nowadays.

I don't own a blackpowder rifle, I've just fired them a bunch of times.  It was like a dude handed me one and said "load it and fire" and then I handed it back.

I am an honorary citizen of West Point, Kentucky and member of the Order of Kentucky Rifles because I loaded and fired a Kentucky rifle in less than some time limit (forget what it was) and hit a target at 30 yards.

[11B4V]

Cal, I hope your throughly cleaning after BP shooting, unless you are using certain BP dirvetives that are non-corosive nowadays.

I don't own a blackpowder rifle, I've just fired them a bunch of times.  It was like a dude handed me one and said "load it and fire" and then I handed it back.

I am an honorary citizen of West Point, Kentucky and member of the Order of Kentucky Rifles because I loaded and fired a Kentucky rifle in less than some time limit (forget what it was) and hit a target at 30 yards.

Cool beans. I havent had anytime to do any shooting lately. Havent even started reloading any BP pistol rounds this year. BP loading process is a little different than loading with smokeless powders.