Hobbies And Interests
Home  >> Collecting >> Gun Collecting

How to Load a Musket

Loading a musket isn't that hard, but when they were the gun used in battle, soldiers had to remember what step they were on while bullets flew past their heads and men were screaming and dying all around them. Loading a musket is easy, but shooting one or two rounds a minute takes practice on the battlefield.

Things You'll Need

  • Gunpowder charge with ball in greased paper
  • Ramrod
  • Musket
  • Wire brush to fit barrel (optional)
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Standing up, set the hammer to "half cock" for safety reasons. You'll be looking down the barrel quite a bit, and you don't want the hammer on full cock, which if kicked or dropped, might cause the musket to fire.

    • 2

      Grab a charge out of the box or from your ammo pouch. Tear off the top of the charge with your teeth and keep the ball that was on the top in your mouth. Pour the powder down the barrel. Put the ball of lead into the barrel and put the wadding from the package on top.

    • 3

      Take the ramrod and tamp the powder, the ball and the wadding into the barrel. The wadding is there to make sure that the ball and gunpowder stay put.

    • 4

      Add some gunpowder to the flash pan below the trigger and fully cock the musket.

    • 5

      Aim for the biggest mass you can on the battlefield because this weapon is not very accurate. Once you've set you sights on your target, press the trigger and the hammer will come down. This strikes flint against the pan, causing the gunpowder behind the ball to ignite and the weapon to fire.


https://www.htfbw.com © Hobbies And Interests