SMOOTHBORE CUBE PROJ v ROUND BALL

[Ben_Rumson]

I think that cube test should be run at targets farther away... I'd guess cube v round ball accuracy is about the same but the cube would have more drop.

Back in the flint lock smooth bore musket days soldiers molded their own round ball... The soldiers were issued a bar of lead for the melt... It has been observed by battlefield archaeologists that soldiers would just cut off a piece from the bar and fire that instead. Perhaps done in a pinch or maybe to catch a little shut eye

Some guns used by the Turks were designed to fire a cubed proj.. It was special for infidels!

[765x53]

It was also common practice to chew sheet lead into a ball.

High lead levels in the body can cause volatile and violent behavior.
Thus explaining the success of the Romans who cooked in lead pots and the wimpification of modern civilized people.

[gamekeeper]

The Puckle Gun was designed by James Puckle in 1718 so that the British could use square bullets against the Muslim Turks, as they were considered more damaging. It also fired round bullets that could be used against Christian enemy troops.

[Old No7]

The Puckle Gun was designed by James Puckle in 1718 so that the British could use square bullets against the Muslim Turks, as they were considered more damaging. It also fired round bullets that could be used against Christian enemy troops.

Very interesting John; I'd not heard of that one before.

For others who want to know more, Here is a link to a UK article, with picture, of a Puckle Gun

And here's a quote: "At the time the gun was patented in 1718, a musket could be loaded and fired 3 times a minute. The vastly superior Puckle Gun fired nine shots per minute and was the world’s first machine gun."

So I guess "spray and pray" wasn't invented in the jungles of Vietnam...

Old No7

[gamekeeper]

I guess there'd be more praying than spraying.....

[Ben_Rumson]

Here's a pic of the Puckle (say that 3 times rapidly!) out of an old Bannermans catalog I snapped.

PUCKLE.jpg