Rick,
My camera has 'turned up missing' at present, but when it comes out of hiding I will attach a few pics.
I think the only important criteria with the chamber, was that a ball had a seat which prevented it over-compressing the powder. This May just be a carry-over from the European design as shown in your picture above, as with serperntine mealed powder, over -compressed powder will not ignite.
With corned powder, (as we all know) there is no such need for a chamber.
Did India in general continue with mealed powder longer?.........or was the old chamber design merely copied without much thought?
I do know from contemporary sources, that the matchlock was known (in general) to be more accurate and outrange the British musket. Did the huge powder capacity of the chamber help? I'd think so, at least in range!
Richard.
|