[kronckew]

..and they were not the easiest things to reload due to the tight fit, especially when they were fouled by sustained fire which further reduced the windage. some required a hammer to seat the fresh charge. i've heard the brunswick was especially contrary if fouled. some soldiers would do field cleaning by urinating down the barrel to clear the fouling. smooth bore muskets had more leaway.


then some bright spark invented the hollow based ogiveal pointed cylinder of lead we call the miné ball, which didn't require a cloth patch. they were also made up into paper cartridges using however nitrated paper which would combust as they were fired (i've made and fired these myself in a rifled percussion musket, also used cloth patched round balls in a .36 kentucky long rifle, used with a patch knife). early minés had a metal cup in the base, but it was found to be unnecessary, and actually would occasionally fire thru the bullet, leaving the main part stuck in the barrel, gain, requiring the screw, or if the hole was too big, an armourer.

the 19c was a huge experiment in bullet shapes, jackets, rifling styles well into the switch to smokeless powder which cured the worst of the fouling problems, and breech loaders that solved most of the other joys of muzzle loaders. including having to stand in lines to reload, breech loaders could thankfully be reloaded in the prone position, tho generals were slow to realise the days of the three rank volley fire were obsolete. (the famous rourke's drift saw the great majority of zulus killed hundreds of yards away. the movie took great dramatic license. the main body at islandwana didn't fair as well tho with their lines)

the video was not meant to show the 'official' regulation reload, but a battlefield expedient. the spat ball world have reduced power, but at close range, it didn't matter as much. the aim ws to get the lead down field as quick as possible to break the french columns.