[Peter Bosman]

Splitting the thread from another topic.

Ideally a flintlock pistol for mounted use woukd have a lanyard to prevent it from dropping and a swivel for the ramrod but booth seem to be fairly late innovations.
Cartridge pouches however are very early thus cartridges were too.

Now I doubt wether http://www.civilwarguns.com/9508.html was a solution found by those early users and I also have my doubts about fiddling a wire through the vent hole but then I cannot realy envisage tearing a cartridge with my teeth etc without spillage or loss of things when on the move either...

I know some remark that the tactic was to ride out, shoot, ride back to load and in again but that is not how I see it. I have half a dozen trained and thus very keen horses and none of them will quietly stand for me to reload when there is a game on hand. I might as well do it at a gallop as that is a relatively easy movement.

Now, why did the riders not wear their pistol ramrod on a lanyard aroud their neck or such? or did they? Early 19th century riders sometimes did even for their carbines.
Ripp the paper, stuff the whole (lubed paper) cartridge in, give it a shove and go?!
Remember these guys were quíte inventive so they múst have thought of sómething!

Peter

[Lafayette C Curtis]

[Peter Bosman]

[Gordon Frye]

Peter;

I've managed fairly handily to load from paper cartridge while mounted, by going through the standard steps:

1.)Place Pistol in your bridle hand
2.)Half-cock Pistol, set safety catch (if it's an English-lock)
3.)Open Pan (if it's not already open)
4.)Handle Cartridge with your right hand
5.) Tear Cartridge with your teeth by thumbing the tail of the cartridge out, and holding the thumb over the powder
(Spit the cartridge paper out of your mouth, as the powder tastes TERRIBLE! Hard to not get a smidgeon in your mouth when you tear, even when holding your thumb at the point where you wish the paper to tear)
6.) Prime Pan by pouring a very small amount of powder into the pan, just sufficient to fill it
7.) Shut Pan
8.) Cast about the pistol to bring the muzzle up, and place the butt of the pistol on your left thigh, lock facing outward
9.) Charge Cartridge into the muzzle (Cargen en el cañon)
10.) Draw Rammer
11.) Insert Rammer and Ram Home
12.) Remove Rammer
13.) Return Rammer
14.) Free your Cock (if it's on safety)
15.) Recover your Pistol to your Right Hand
16.) Present and Fire.

This is the manual for use with the cartridge. For using flasks, its a bit different (the following is straight out of Cruso, 1632, using wheellocks but with extra info on using English-locks)

1.) To horse
2.) Uncapp your Pistolls
3.) Draw your Pistoll
4.) Order your Pistoll
5.) Spann your Pistoll (when using a wheellock)
6.) Prime your Pistoll
7.) Shut your Pan
8.) Cast about your Pistoll
9.) Gage your Flaske (turn it upside down to fill the spout, then close the cut-off valve)
10.) Lade your Pistoll
11.) Draw your Rammer
12.) Lade with Bullet and Ram Home
13.) Return your Rammer
14.) Pull down your Cock (sometimes called dog on wheellocks)
15.) Recover your Pistoll
16.) Present and Fire
17.) Return your Pistol

For use with an English-lock pistol (or any flint-igniton pistol if you ignore the aspects of the safety)
18.) Bend your Cock (in the stead of no. 5.)
19.) Guard your Cock (place on safety)
20.) Order your Hammer (in the stead of no. 14)
21.) Free your Cock (remove safety)

As noted, I've managed to reload my pistols from horseback when using cartriges, but I haven't tried it with a flask though I have no doubt that it's manageable. The issue is, as you note, calming the horse down enough to do so. But I suspect with a major battle going on, and during the course of a long campaign, having a fairly tired horse would be of some benefit for once! I was informed by Daniel Staberg that in the course of the Battle of Wittstock in 1636, the Swedish Cavalry made between 8-10 Charges and that by the last few, the horses could barely stand on their legs (and the riders could barely stay in the saddle). I have no doubt that they were sufficiently steady at that point to allow the reloading of their pistols and carbines, though I'm sure they would have preferred to have had fresh, nervous horses!

Cheers!

Gordon

[George Hill]

[Gordon Frye]

[Peter Bosman]

Thanks Gordon, George.

Soaking the paper in something inflammeble. Good idea if risky, but then, with only 6 in a pouch no mayor explosion will result.
That would sure be a clever way to quickly load from the saddle.

The pistol I like móst as a rider unfortunately is about 150 years too late. I did aquire a superb McClellan-type saddle matching the guns I like but well, you can't have it áll

Sofar no affordable luck on the wheellock. I did think about another thing though. I live real close to Marocco and have some maroccan acquaintances and flint lock pistols-guns are still being manufactured there in a rococo style which may be exactly right for me!



Still looking for a nice Colichemarde too

During thís period btw, a manual on 'bien ecuyer' lists surprising arms for the mounted man. De Saunier was well seasoned on the battlefields of his times, for an ecuyer exceptionally so, was a duellist and this practical man uses a javelin, short lance, smallsword, sabre and pistol.
Nó mentioning of reloading, but then he and his french collegues were infamous for their rather direct approach

Peter

[Lafayette C Curtis]

[George Hill]

[Peter Bosman]

Ha, I like the relativity-theories here

You are right George in that dealing with powder needs common sense anyway.

Indeed Lafayette, a successfull cavalry charge does not need a repeat however... this does depend very heavily on the deifinition of successfull and thus the chosen strategy-tactics.
I relay like the mamluk manuals that portray the cavalry in a harassing role and only charging in the face of easy winning. The true 'light' cavaly.
This brings to mind what the numidian cavalry provoked when they met the roman units. They worried them and provoked breaks in formation. This latter being the 'success' aimed for and yes they did need to 'charge' various times before infantry would break formation.
Same thing realy as for 'heavies' or the polish hussars, only diffently executed
The 'success' of cavalry thus depends heavily (pun intended) on the skill and disciplin of the opposing force. Thát brings us back to the mamluk instructions not to bother to actualy charge ínto infantry and play the more patient game which i think is the more rational way to employ cavalry.Mind you, that does assume this cavalry is very well trained.
Thát again is a factor that influances the strategy-tactics that can be used.

Peter

[George Hill]

[Peter Bosman]

Véy interesting 'bullets' George.

This all makes me think and rethink about what pistol to buy when (and if) the weapon permit ever comes off. Period, more practical or just fun? as it is all fun anyway and who will notice apart from you buffs?! The snag is I will know too

Peter