[QUOTE=NunOfTheAbove]
It is difficult to find a replica that wouldn’t fire, but easy to find one’s that do.
[/QUOTE]
Then again, it’s almost a moot point with pre-percussion firearms, since there’s such a long chain of events to get the gun loaded and ready to fire that there’s very little to no chance of an accidental firing, unless you’ve deliberately loaded and primed the gun.
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad]
The procedure for matchlocks that I have seen was that the slowmatch (cord impregnated with nitre) was taken off the gun prior to loading and hung on a tall “fork” while the powder was handled. After loading and priming, the flash pan was closed to prevent accidental ignition and the slowmatch was then put into the serpentine. Then the flash pan was opened again and the musketeer used the fork to rest his gun for aiming.
The disadvantages of this procedure were probably just as obvious at the time as they are now. Flintlocks and wheelocks were just plain faster as well as safer.
[/QUOTE]
This is pretty much it. I have, however, heard that soldiers sometimes wound the matches around their hats or held them in their teeth during reloading, and would often light the other end of the match so that if one end went out, they didn’t have to bugger around with a tinder-box etc whilst in combat.
[QUOTE=jayjay]
Then again, it’s almost a moot point with pre-percussion firearms, since there’s such a long chain of events to get the gun loaded and ready to fire that there’s very little to no chance of an accidental firing, unless you’ve deliberately loaded and primed the gun.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, your four year old is really not going to shoot his friend with a matchlock unless he’s awfully precocious.
[QUOTE=feppytweed]
As for rain, well… you’re pretty much screwed. Wet powder won’t burn. But, in the end, the rationale that a semi-reliable firearm is better than more primitive weapons won out.
[/QUOTE]
There were several small advances that helped with this problem in the form of small metal flaps to cover the primer pan. The metal flap would then have a tab that whan the match pushed forward it pressed against the tab and lifted the lid keeping the powder dryer longer. Later flintlock muskets actually struck their sparks off of a similar tab while opening the primer pan with the forward snap of the hammer.
I have hunted with flintlock rifles for years. I have been able to fire my rifle in the rain. All you have to do is “Keep your Powder Dry”.
I do stop under a balsam tree or such and re-prime the flash pan, and do what I can to keep everything dry.
BUT,
I have had much more trouble with condensation. A cold rifle barrel and high humidity has caused me several “flashes in the pan”, and that is when the sights are on a nice big Bull Elk.
The mountain man of the percussion area didn’t always care for those little caps that were useless if they got wet. Powder will dry, Caps had to be replaced.
The early ones weren’t always fired from the shoulder. The shooter would anchor the linear heat engine under the arm, or butt it against something(wall etc). There were on sights on early guns and sometimes more than 1 were carried for backup.
[QUOTE=matt]
What do tropical bowhunters use?
[/QUOTE]
Blowguns.