new historical question: what was the most powerfull military muzzle loading rifle

[agent00]

Hi, my new question is already in the subject line. Was there a military rilfe that was more powerfull than others or had all rifles ( I mean the flintstock or percusion models).

 

[4v50 Gary]

Guess we leave out the Jacob rifle as it wasn't adopted. The ball was powerful because it was an explosive bullet meant to destroy artillery cassions. Very practical but the British military turned their collective noses down on it.

So, off the top, if we're talking about big balls that hit hard and far, we're talking the 1841 Rifled Musket. It began as a .69 smoothbore that shot buck & ball (one big ball plus three buck shots or as the soldiers called it, "Three cheers and a tiger") but was rifled to take a .69 caliber minie ball. Kicked like a mule and shot a heavier minie than the M1855 Springfield rifle musket that replaced it.

If we're talking distance, the we're talking the British Whitworth that could reach out to a mile with it's .535 grain hexagonal bolt.

 

[agent00]

ok thx for your informativ answer.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

How about a vote for the Nock Volley gun.Flintlock 5 or 7 barrels all fired with one trigger pull.Ouch on BOTH ends...saw one at a museum in Calgary a couple weeks ago.VERY cool looking.

 

[Khaotic]

Shanghai, you'd get a heck of a kick out of this thread, involving "ducks foot" and "volley gun" BP pistols.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=145167

Check the link in the first post for some neato pics.

-K

 

[Third_Rail]

Parrott rifle!


Oh wait, that's a cannon. Well, it does have the word rifle in the name, so....

 

[4v50 Gary]

Forgot about the Nock. The City of Charleston, South C'lina has the earlier Nock Volley Gun displayed in their museum. Their gun collection is quite good and well worth the price of admission. Might as well splurge and buy the ticket that'll get you into the Manigault House across the street. The Manigaults served the patriot side in the Revolution and the Corn-federate side during the Rebellion.

 

[Brian Williams]

Other than the Nock wasn't there a smoothbore .75 in Britian

 

[4v50 Gary]

Are you thinking of the .72 cal Brown Bess?