Discussion Rifle Loading Question

[Jeff in Ohio]

The paper acts a wadding to keep the ball in position against the powder. The ball is smaller than the bore, so could shift away from the charge. A gap between the ball & the charge could turn the barrel into a pipe bomb… literally.

One of black powder's virtues is that it cannot be ignited by impact. The makes it extraordinary stable. It can only be ignited by a flame or electrical spark. In the case of a cap, it is a flame from the percussion explosion that sets off the charge. In a flintlock, the spark struck by flint & steel ignites fine powder that then ignites the charge.

Because of its stability, black powder is still used as an initiating charge in modern explosives.

Fulminate of mercury, the substance that is in percussion caps, is extremely sensitive to the slightest impact. My teenage self can testify that simply brushing a broom across fulminate of mercury will result in a satisfying crack!

At sea, cannon were loaded with a wad of cloth rammed on top of the ball. A "cheese of wads" was close at hand during firing. The flaming bits of wad were a very dangerous fire hazard for both attacker & target.

In an unforgettable incident from the Centennial in 1960, an original 12 pound Napoleon was fired as a morning & evening gun in Murfreesboro TN. The totally ignorant gun crew studied a period manual. The initial round was fired down East Main Street from in front of the courthouse door. A full charge of about 2 pounds of black powder was loaded. It had rained during the night, so a damp wad of newspaper was firmly rammed on top of the charge.

For the first time in one hundred years a Napoleon was fired… much to the horror of the large crowd that gathered for the event. The shockwave hit the crowd, "like the kick from a mule.." store windows shattered. The solid wad traveled down East Main & struck the passenger side door of a DeSoto with a resounding boom.

Thus, a wad of paper was essential for efficient firing of muzzleloaders.

Well, at least it was only DeSoto vehicle it struck - it could have been a 1960 Ford T-bird or a Chevy Impalla! That would have been a real tragedy.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Am I correct in understanding flintlocks could reuse their flint, although they did wear out over time?

However, flint sparks were unreliable, and practically worthless when wet. Unlike percussion caps, which could still fire if wet, so long as the powder was dry?

Given the volatility of percussion caps did soldiers have accidents where a hard collision with their box of percussion caps (ex: dropping it) caused all the caps to fire off in the box?

 

[DixieRifles]

However, flint sparks were unreliable, and practically worthless when wet. Unlike percussion caps, which could still fire if wet, so long as the powder was dry?

Given the volatility of percussion caps did soldiers have accidents where a hard collision with their box of percussion caps (ex: dropping it) caused all the caps to fire off in the box?

I dont own a flintlock but the flint rock will not degrade due to rain. Rather the frizzen pan that holds the powder does.

I have handled percussion caps for 40 years and never worried about them exploding due to rough handling. I only shoot with the small pistol caps.
Sometimes I am cautious about bumping the cap once it is pressed on the gun's nipple— thus firing the gun.

A video clip showing moment cap is ignited.

 

[CowCavalry]

Am I correct in understanding flintlocks could reuse their flintlock, although they did wear out over time?

However, flint sparks were unreliable, and practically worthless when wet. Unlike percussion caps, which could still fire if wet, so long as the powder was dry?

Given the volatility of percussion caps did soldiers have accidents where a hard collision with their box of percussion caps (ex: dropping it) caused all the caps to fire off in the box?

Yes to the flint question, they wear out. I think every soldier was issued spares.

 

[CowCavalry]

The paper acts a wadding to keep the ball in position against the powder. The ball is smaller than the bore, so could shift away from the charge.

Not sure what you mean here; a rifled musket firing a minie ball uses no wad as I'm sure you know, a Pritchett bullet uses the paper from the cartridge as a "patch" of sorts, not a "wad". A smoothbore musket uses the paper of the cartridge as sort of patch. A muzzle loading rifle firing a round ball uses a cloth patch to take up the windage, but no "wad" or wadding. A ML shotgun does use wads, one on top of the powder charge and another on top of the shot.

At sea, cannon were loaded with a wad of cloth rammed on top of the ball. A "cheese of wads" was close at hand during firing. The flaming bits of wad were a very dangerous fire hazard for both attacker & target.

What is a "cheese of wads"?

 

[yulzari]

A smoothbore musket uses the paper of the cartridge as sort of patch.

The musket paper cartridge, once the powder has been emptied down the bore, is loaded complete and unaltered with the powder end downwards and the ball uppermost. The paper of the powder end is squashed into a rudimentary wad over the powder which also holds the ball in place. In British use there were two sharp taps on the rod to squash the paper. Not hard thumping of the rod on the ball but just firm taps.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Am I correct in understanding flintlocks could reuse their flint, although they did wear out over time?

However, flint sparks were unreliable, and practically worthless when wet. Unlike percussion caps, which could still fire if wet, so long as the powder was dry?

Given the volatility of percussion caps did soldiers have accidents where a hard collision with their box of percussion caps (ex: dropping it) caused all the caps to fire off in the box?

Flint napping was not a skill commonly held, so worn flints were replaced. Extra flints were a standard item in a soldier's kit. Given the danger of silicosis from working flint, it is curious to think that industrial level flint napping carried on into the 19th Century. Modern nappers do it outside & are very careful about bringing residue into their homes.

Copper caps are surprisingly stable. Volatile as it is, fulminate of mercury requires a direct blow to ignite. The inside of the cap box is lined with fur. Rabbit if memory serves. Even if a cap box were struck by a ball, the individual cap has such a small charge that any ignition would not have been significant. If you are old enough to have had a cap gun, it will give you some idea of the nature of the thing.

 

[CowCavalry]

The musket paper cartridge, once the powder has been emptied down the bore, is loaded complete and unaltered with the powder end downwards and the ball uppermost. The paper of the powder end is squashed into a rudimentary wad over the powder which also holds the ball in place. In British use there were two sharp taps on the rod to squash the paper. Not hard thumping of the rod on the ball but just firm taps.

Right, and that rudimentary "wad" is really a by product of the paper cartridge, its not really required. The paper "patch" by product is though, to help take up windage. You could load the musket with loose powder and patched ball if need be. My point merely being, that there is no need for, nor is there a "wad" used in a muzzle loading rifle.

 

[Booner]

Am I correct in understanding flintlocks could reuse their flint, although they did wear out over time?

However, flint sparks were unreliable, and practically worthless when wet. Unlike percussion caps, which could still fire if wet, so long as the powder was dry?

Given the volatility of percussion caps did soldiers have accidents where a hard collision with their box of percussion caps (ex: dropping it) caused all the caps to fire off in the box?

Flints do wear out (become blunt) over time with use but can be re-napped giving them a sharp edge again.
The flintlock ignition system is a balance between the spring tension of the main spring, frizzon spring, the temper of the frizzon itself, and the hardness of the flint. In a well-made lock, where all of these factors are in balance, and one may get 30-40 shots before the flint needs re-napping. Wiping the fouling out of the pan and off the face of the frizzon and flint after each shot helps improve the reliability of the lock to produce sparks. There were water-proof locks made for the civilian market that supposedly kept water out of the pan where the priming powder was located, and the lock would also have to be covered to keep things dry, but if the priming powder got wet, it would turn into a sludge and not ignite, although wet powder could be dried out and used again. Black powder doesn't degrade with age.

Military weapons were made more robust and their locks were not finely tuned, so their locks were much harder on the flints which would wear out much faster.

As for percussion caps, I don't know how much force it takes for them to ignite but dropping them on a hard surface such as a concrete floor is normally not sufficient for them to explode, (but that practice is not recommended).

 

[RickR]

The paper acts a wadding to keep the ball in position against the powder. The ball is smaller than the bore, so could shift away from the charge. A gap between the ball & the charge could turn the barrel into a pipe bomb… literally.

One of black powder's virtues is that it cannot be ignited by impact. The makes it extraordinary stable. It can only be ignited by a flame or electrical spark. In the case of a cap, it is a flame from the percussion explosion that sets off the charge. In a flintlock, the spark struck by flint & steel ignites fine powder that then ignites the charge.

Because of its stability, black powder is still used as an initiating charge in modern explosives.

Fulminate of mercury, the substance that is in percussion caps, is extremely sensitive to the slightest impact. My teenage self can testify that simply brushing a broom across fulminate of mercury will result in a satisfying crack!

At sea, cannon were loaded with a wad of cloth rammed on top of the ball. A "cheese of wads" was close at hand during firing. The flaming bits of wad were a very dangerous fire hazard for both attacker & target.

In an unforgettable incident from the Centennial in 1960, an original 12 pound Napoleon was fired as a morning & evening gun in Murfreesboro TN. The totally ignorant gun crew studied a period manual. The initial round was fired down East Main Street from in front of the courthouse door. A full charge of about 2 pounds of black powder was loaded. It had rained during the night, so a damp wad of newspaper was firmly rammed on top of the charge.

For the first time in one hundred years a Napoleon was fired… much to the horror of the large crowd that gathered for the event. The shockwave hit the crowd, "like the kick from a mule.." store windows shattered. The solid wad traveled down East Main & struck the passenger side door of a DeSoto with a resounding boom.

Thus, a wad of paper was essential for efficient firing of muzzleloaders.

One good toss of the ram rod will actually expand the skirt into the rifling preventing the ball from falling out. I experimented with a barrel and loaded over powder using varying degrees of ramming, pulled the breech plug and pushed the ball out the breech end and inspected. It doesn't take much. The ball is somewhat engaged in the rifling just from loading before the powder even has a chance to expand it.

 

[RicM]

Percussion cap shoots a spark thru into the barrel igniting from flame not sound, not heat...a flame. same principle as a flint lock sending a flame into the barrel. Each percussion cap is a one time use.

 

[Booner]

Percussion cap shoots a spark thru into the barrel igniting from flame not sound, not heat...a flame. same principle as a flint lock sending a flame into the barrel. Each percussion cap is a one time use.

I respectfully disagree.
Black powder can be ignited by either conduction (flame) or radiation (heat). The auto ignition temperature of BP is anywhere from 392-867 degrees F. so a hot gas can ignite the powder.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

You are both "correct" in the sense that a percussion cap is used only one time, and it explodes creating heat and a spark aka flame. These flow through the cone aka nipple into the chamber where the black powder waits. The explosion in the percussion cap creates both spark and heat - I would say that the important point is that the nipple is open so that the result of this explosion can pass through and ignite that powder.