Alain D. wrote: |
When loading a smoothbore or rifle, is it necessary to use a smaller ball than the actual bore size in order to fit or does a .75 bore musket use a .75 ball? I've heard that the British would sometimes use balls down to .69 in a .75 bore barrel for a quicker rate of fire (someone else may be able to verify this). Does patching change the size of the ball that must be used?
I like some of the muskets available on the Military Heritage website, but I can't tell if they are worth their price. Does anybody know anything about the quality of their products? I've heard horror stories about people losing hands and going blind from black powder guns blowing up. |
With patching, you seem to have the right idea. I avoid the whole deal by wadding my smooothbore. There actually isn't any historical evidence of patching a smoothie. Paper cartridges really work quite well.
Those India and Pakistani distributors make an affordable, safe,functioning product. The aesthetics are so-so to bad, with an occasional nice one. If you want something that really represents something historical hire a custom builder. There are small (and not so small) details that the production shops miss. Pederosoli isn't a bad option for a production shop but they miss the historical mark too generally.