Castillo San Marcos

[Kentucky Colonel]

I met an interesting fellow today in St. Augustine at the 
Castillo San Marcos- the oldest fort in the US. 1565 old.

He said that soldiers needed "at least four teeth" to fire 
rifles like his Brown Bess. They were needed to "rip the 
cartridge open while loading."

He said the average soldier could load and fire three shots 
in one minute. He claimed that because he spent so much time 
shooting his smooth bore Brown Bess? That he could "load and 
fire four times in one minute and hit the target all four times 
at 75 yards."

I asked how big the target was and he said "a large bread box."

As this man was a nice man, retired law enforcement officer 
and a national Park Ranger, I did not question him any further. 

I also found this. One source called it an "Amusette." Some people 
just have to cart their shooting benches everywhere! 

I forgot to check the calibre, but big. A 'wall gun' I heard it called.

I would have tried to test fire it, but was called to the Fortification walls. 
Pirates were trying to pull into the harbor. I was forced to man a cannon. 
I am happy to report that the two pirate ships were driven off and we 
suffered no loses. 8)

 

[patocazador]

"I would have tried to test fire it, but was called to the Fortification walls. 
Pirates were trying to pull into the harbor. I was forced to man a cannon. 
I am happy to report that the two pirate ships were driven off and we 
suffered no loses." 

That's an interesting place (but it obviously causes you to have hallucinations).  :scratch:

 

[lighthorseman]

Wall guns were typically just under an inch (.89) in diameter...where as British Long Land Pattern muskets or "King's Muskets"......."Brown Besses" were just under 3/4" (.705) in diameter. The Tower of London had about 20 or more wall guns on display in the Armory section......unless they have been moved to the Military Museum in Leeds. Your photo looks like a French...or I suppose a Spanish version......and I have never seen one on a wheeled cart....pretty cool!.....they were often used to snipe at longer distances at officers.

Yep...got to have teeth to shoot paper cartridges......and a taste for sulfur and charcoal. :lol:

British troops were required to shoot three rounds a minute and 4 is not unreasonable......however for the NP interpreter to hit a "bread box" at 75 yds suggest he has much more opportunity to practice then the average 18th century infantryman.

They have an "artillery school" there at the fort which I hope to send a couple of staff members to one day. 

Very cool photos....thanks for sharing!

Doug

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

"I would have tried to test fire it, but was called to the Fortification walls. 
Pirates were trying to pull into the harbor. I was forced to man a cannon. 
I am happy to report that the two pirate ships were driven off and we 
suffered no loses." 

That's an interesting place (but it obviously causes you to have hallucinations).  :scratch:

I offer proof of the pirates. These two pics were shot from the walls of the fortification 
near the cannon battery. I took them before getting the order to open fire. Note the 
pirate flags? 

However, the heat was so grindingly harsh that the numbers of visitors were significantly 
down. So, heat inspired hallucinations could have caused me to remember me firing that 
cannon... Those two ships did seem to move magically and without the use of sails... :tongue:

Doug, I had never seen one before. Thanks for the extra info.

I am right in thinking a 75 yard, 100% hit rate of 4 shots in under a minute with a smooth bore 
seems a bit ambitious? I only own rifled guns.

 

[lighthorseman]

Agreed.....but I have a friend in Indiana that competes regularly in matches against rifled guns and wins consistently with his 20 ga/.62 cal smoothie....the biggest issue with smooth bore shooting is the handicap of distance. Accuracy is there within 75 yds if the "shooter" is competent at that distance....which means a lot of shooting. I was "once" competent with my Sharps 45-70 at 200-400 yds....but I was doing a ton of target practice...40-60 rounds at a time.............my eye sight was a whole heck of a lot sharper then as well. :shooter:

I am planning on getting out behind the house in the woods and burning a lot of powder with my smooth rifle this summer in hope I can make up for getting old. :thumbs up: