Impressions Why "Support Arms" is great...

thomas aagaard

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Nov 19, 2013
Location
Denmark
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In the American drill books "support arms" is just covered with the other positions with no real explanation.

In the Danish "tactics" a similar position is found in a chapter with "special positions"
"Gevær i arm" (support arms) is specifically used when a soldier is on guard duty.

This is a way of carrying the musket with the hammer resting on the left forarm with the right hand on the small of the stock.
The muskets sits well and both hands can be places close to the body next to or even covered by a lot of wool... rather important when on guard duty in cold weather...
 
Very cool. I've often thought it was for specifically used for gaurd mount. I doubt it was used as the carry position a lot of reenactors use it as

Is anyone familiar with what the French manual that Scott translated says in regards to Support Arms?
 
Very cool. I've often thought it was for specifically used for gaurd mount. I doubt it was used as the carry position a lot of reenactors use it as

Is anyone familiar with what the French manual that Scott translated says in regards to Support Arms?
Iam pretty sure it is a direct translation. Just Like Hardee did a direct translation of the French 1845 drill.

Yes, it was clearly used for guard duty. (there are a lot of photos of this)

And I agree that this was most likely why it was in the book in the first place.

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I imagine such a pose distributed the weight of the rifle (held for a long period of time). Would have reduced the instances of “My arm fell asleep”.
 
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