[Henry O.]

I know Roger Williams complained about firearms that were "stocked crooked after the French manner to be discharged on the breast", stating that the recoil was much more troublesome than those designed to be fired from the shoulder "after the Spanish manner". However, straight-stocked arquebuses fired from the shoulder seem to have been around since the 15th century, so why did they take so long to become standard?

Has anyone had experience shooting an arquebus or caliver like this or have any ideas about why they became so popular?