Muzzle-loading weapons of the past - muskets, squeaks, fuzei - did not have high accuracy and rate of fire, but were incredibly deadly, any injury threatened death or injury. Moreover, each major improvement in weapons led to a change in military tactics, and sometimes to a change in the military paradigm.

It is believed that handguns appeared in the 14th century at the same time as artillery. The first samples were essentially the same guns and bombards, only reduced so much that they could be fired from the hands. They were called so - hand cannons. Structurally, these were bronze or iron pipes with a tightly soldered end and an ignition hole near it. Short barrels were stacked on rough stocks, similar to elongated decks. Sometimes, instead of a stock, a long metal pin protruded from the sealed end of the pipe, by which the weapon was held. The shooter pointed it at the target and set fire to the gunpowder with a smoldering wick or a red-hot rod (often two people participated in this process).

The last battle of the Middle Ages

For almost two centuries, handguns offered no advantage. Bulky and inconvenient "hand guns" lost in terms of rate of fire to bows and crossbows - a good archer could shoot up to 12 times in a minute. The firearms operator spent several minutes on just one shot. In terms of penetrating ability, the bullets of the first guns did not exceed crossbow arrows. In the second season of the documentary series Deadliest Warrior, an experiment is shown: a bullet fired from six meters from a modern replica of a Chinese handgun from the Ming Dynasty ricochets off a musketeer's shell, leaving only a dent on it.

Everything changed in the 15th century thanks to large-caliber muskets that fired bullets weighing 50-60 grams - they were guaranteed to hit a knight in armor. By the way, the term "musket" (like most other names for muzzle-loading weapons) is conditional. This was also the name of heavy matchlock guns of the 15th-16th centuries, and guns with a percussion flintlock of the 17th-19th centuries.

No matter how primitive the early firearms were, they made a revolution in military affairs: skillful and strong professional warriors soon turned out to be powerless before the muzzle of a musket. Historians consider the Battle of Pavia in 1525 between the French and Spaniards to be a turning point - it is called the last battle of the Middle Ages. It was then that firearms showed unconditional superiority over the knightly cavalry. From that time on, the musket became the main weapon of the infantry, its tactics changed, and special musketeer units were created.

The wick guns of the 15th-16th centuries are still slow and cumbersome, but they acquire more or less familiar features, the wick is no longer brought to the ignition hole by hand - it is mounted on a snake-like serpentine lever, actuated by a kind of trigger. The ignition hole is shifted to the side, next to it is a special seed shelf, on which gunpowder is poured.

And muskets and arquebuses are unusually deadly - hitting a heavy and soft bullet almost always leads to death or serious injury - a soldier wounded in an arm or leg, as a rule, lost a limb.

Wheels of Leonardo

But even the most advanced matchlock muskets are too inconvenient - the shooter thought more about how to set fire to the gunpowder, and not about how to aim more accurately. The wick was easily extinguished in bad weather, matches and lighters had not yet been invented, and it was impossible to quickly light the wick with a flint and flint in the event of a sudden alarm. Therefore, the wick of sentries smoldered constantly, hidden in a special wick, wound on the butt of a musket or directly on a musketeer's hat. It is believed that the guards burned out five or six meters of the wick during the night watch.

The state of affairs was slightly improved by the wheel lock, known since the 15th century. In it, a spark to ignite the gunpowder on the seed shelf was cut out using a rotating knurled wheel. Before firing, it was wound up with a key, like a music box, and when the trigger was pressed, it rotated, at the same time, a holder with a fixed piece of pyrite was pressed against it from above. Several engineers claim the authorship of the wheel lock, in particular, drawings of such devices are in the work of Leonardo da Vinci called Codex Atlanticus.

Although the wheel lock outperformed the wick in reliability, it was too capricious, complicated (they were made by watchmakers) and expensive, and therefore could not completely replace the serpentine with a smoldering wick. In addition, almost simultaneously with the wheel lock, a much simpler and more perfect shock-flint lock appeared - it is also called shock, battery, armchair. In it, a trigger with flint hit a metal plate-kresal, striking sparks, and at the same time a shelf with seed gunpowder opened. He flashed and set fire to the main charge in the barrel.

Historians believe that the shock lock was invented in the Middle East. In Europe, the Spaniards were the first to use this scheme, and the French brought it to perfection. In 1610, the gunsmith Marin Le Bourgeois combined the best features of different samples and created the so-called French battery lock, which almost until the middle of the 19th century was the basis of handguns in Europe, the USA, many countries of the East (not in all, in Japan until the last quarter of the 19th century). matchlocks were used for centuries). By the 17th century, the final appearance of a flintlock gun had developed - a total length of about one and a half meters, a barrel up to 1.2 meters, a caliber of 17-20 millimeters, and a weight of four to five kilograms. Everything is approximate, because there was no unification in production.

In addition to the classic muskets, the military was armed with hand-held mortars for firing grenades and short musketons with thick bell-shaped barrels, from which they fired chopped lead, nails or small pebbles.

Why bite the chuck

Perhaps the most famous flintlock weapon is the 1722 British land-based musket, nicknamed Brown Bess (“Dark Bess”). The wooden stock of the musket was brown, and the barrel was often covered with the so-called "rusty" varnish. "Darkie Bess" was used in Britain itself, in all its colonies, and was in service until the middle of the 19th century. This weapon did not have any outstanding characteristics, but gained its fame due to its wide distribution. The singer of British militarism and colonialism Rudyard Kipling even dedicated one of his poems to the brown musket - it is called Brown Bess. In the British Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue of 1785, the expression "embracing Darkie Bess" means "to serve as a soldier."

Experts call the French musket of 1777 the best flintlock gun. By that time, the engineer and master of fortification, the Marquis Sebastien Le Pretre de Vauban, had improved the flintlock and invented the bayonet tube, which made it possible to shoot with the bayonet attached - before that, the bayonet was inserted into the barrel. With this gun, the French infantry went through all the wars of the Revolution and the Empire. A shotgun with a Vauban lock was almost immediately adopted by all European armies. The Russian musket of the 1808 model was essentially a copy of a French gun with a slightly modified caliber.

The impact lock and the development of the loading algorithm significantly increased the rate of fire of muzzle-loading guns. Historians claim that the Prussian infantry of the 17th century fired up to five rounds per minute with four reloads, and individual riflemen - up to seven shots with six reloads.

To speed up charging, gunpowder, wad and bullet were combined in one paper cartridge. The French manual for loading weapons included 12 commands. In short, the process looked like this: the soldier put the trigger on the safety platoon, opened the lid of the seed shelf, bit the paper cartridge, poured some of the gunpowder onto the shelf, and then closed it. He poured the remnants of gunpowder into the barrel, sent a paper cartridge with a bullet there - the paper served as a wad, nailed the bullet with a ramrod, then put the trigger on the combat platoon. The gun was ready to fire.

By the way, the paper cartridge played a cruel joke with the British - it is believed that it was he who served as the pretext for the uprising of the sepoys of 1857-1859 in India. In February 1857, there was a rumor in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry Regiment that the shell of the new paper cartridges was saturated with either cow or pork fat. The need to bite into such cartridges offended the religious feelings of Hindus and Muslims. One of the native soldiers announced that he would not bite the cartridge, and when the regimental lieutenant arrived to analyze the incident, the native fired at him, wounding his horse.

How demons spun bullets

But even the most advanced musket was not very accurate - hitting a target with an area of ​​​​a meter by a meter from a hundred meters was a very good result. Aimed salvo fire was carried out at distances of 50-100 meters - it was believed that it was impossible to get into the enemy line beyond 200 meters. In most armies, soldiers were allowed three to five practice shots to familiarize themselves with the loading process. Everything else is in combat.

On the other hand, salvo firing techniques were worked out to perfection - to reduce the time intervals between salvos, a system of shooters from several lines was used. The first rank fired a volley, went back to load guns, its place was taken by the second with loaded muskets, after the volley it gave way to the third rank, etc. There were tricks for firing three lines at once: the soldier of the first line became half-turned, the next behind him remained in place, the third took a step to the right.

The first samples of rifled weapons date back to the 15th century - in the arsenal of Turin there is a rifled gun of 1476. Already by the first quarter of the 16th century, high-quality rifled guns were available in various European countries, primarily in Germany. But these were single samples, available only to the rich.

Early rifled weapons are sometimes referred to as "premature" in the sense that the level of technological development of the time precluded their widespread use. The first flintlock revolvers are also referred to the same premature inventions - one of the oldest samples dates back to 1597 (the first Colt revolver appeared in 1836), and in the Kremlin Armory there is a 1625 revolver squeaker.

The accuracy of the first rifled gun made such a strong impression on contemporaries that it provoked a religious dispute. In 1522, a Bavarian priest (according to other sources, a warlock) named Moretius explained the accuracy of rifled weapons by the fact that demons swarming in the air cannot stay on rotating bullets, because there are no devils in the rotating heavens, but there are plenty of them on Earth. Moretius's opponents insisted that the demons just like everything spinning, and they probably direct the spinning bullet.

An experiment conducted in the German city of Mainz in 1547 put an end to the dispute. First, at targets from a distance of 200 yards, they shot 20 times with simple lead bullets, then another 20 shots were fired with consecrated silver bullets with crosses inscribed on them. Half of the lead bullets hit the target, but the silver missed. The answer was obvious. The church authorities banned the "devil's weapon", and the frightened townspeople threw their rifles into the fire.

True, those who could afford rifled weapons continued to use them. But more than three hundred years passed before, by the end of the 17th century, a rifled gun was created, suitable for relatively massive infantry weapons. And only in the second half of the 19th century did rifled muzzle-loading rifles supplant classic muskets from the army.

The appearance of black powder marked the beginning of the combat use of firearms. Together with bows and crossbows, the first samples of handguns began to be supplied to the European armies, but the first battles in which small arms took part did not demonstrate its high combat characteristics. The first arquebus shot poorly. There was no need to talk about the accuracy of the shot. In addition, preparing the weapon for a shot required quite a lot of time, not to mention the time needed for the next reload. First, the arquebus became the main armament of the shooters in the European armies, a little later the musket appeared - a much more powerful and heavy weapon.

The birth of the musket

European armies had difficulty switching to a new type of weapon. The main combat load in the infantry units was carried out by archers and crossbowmen. The proportion of shooters armed with firearms did not exceed 5-10%. In Spain, which in the 15th-16th centuries was the leading world power and the center of European politics, the royal government sought to increase the number of fire fighting regiments. For the empire, it was required to have a more perfect and powerful army and a powerful navy. It was impossible to cope with such a task without the massive use of firearms. Artillery and musket fire became the decisive factor in countering the enemy.

Heavy matchlock guns appeared on the equipment of European armies for a reason. The arquebus, which became the forerunner of the musket, was successfully used against infantry. However, during combat clashes, where heavily armed cavalry, protected by armor, participated, the arquebus became powerless. A more powerful and heavier weapon was required, with greater penetrating power and greater range of a direct shot. To do this, it was decided to go the simplest way, to increase the size of the wick gun. Accordingly, the caliber also increased. The first matchlock musket had a weight of 7-9 kg. The caliber of the new weapon was no longer 15-17 mm, like the arquebus, but 22-23 mm. It was possible to shoot from such weapons only from a semi-stationary position. Unlike the arquebus, which could be used by infantry units on the battlefield, the musket was more designed for firing from a prepared position. This was facilitated not only by the weight of the weapon, but also by the length of the barrel. In some specimens, the trunk length reached 1.5 m.

Spain, France and Germany at that time were the most technically advanced countries, so it was in these countries that it became possible to manufacture heavy matchlock guns of large caliber. Mild steel appeared at the disposal of gunsmiths, allowing the manufacture of long and durable gun barrels.

The presence of a long barrel increased the range of a direct shot by an order of magnitude and increased accuracy. Now the firefight could be carried out already at long distances. With salvo fire, the muskets ensured the defeat of the enemy at a distance of 200-300 meters. The lethal force of firearms has also increased. A volley of musketeers could easily stop the rushing lava of armored riders. A bullet weighing 50-60 g flew out of the barrel at a speed of 500 m / s and could easily pierce metal armor.

The enormous power of the new weapon was accompanied by a large recoil force. The first rifle regiments were equipped with metal helmets and had a special pad placed on the shoulder as a shock absorber. Shooting could only be carried out from the stop, so the first muskets were considered more fortified weapons. They armed the garrisons of fortresses and the military teams of sea vessels. Great weight, the presence of an emphasis and the difficulty in preparing the weapon for a shot required the efforts of two people, therefore, in the early years of the appearance of muskets, the combat crew of the musket consisted of two people.

The presence of skills in handling firearms and the appearance of granular granular gunpowder soon made muskets and arquebus a serious force in military affairs. Shooters have learned to use heavy weapons quite deftly, shooting has become more meaningful and accurate. The only thing the musket lost before the bow and crossbows was the time allotted to prepare for the next shot.

In the middle of the 16th century, the time between the first and second salvo rarely exceeded 1.5-2 minutes. The advantage on the battlefield was received by the side behind which there was the first volley. Often the battles ended, but I would fight after the first massive salvo. The enemy was either swept away by accurate shots, or he managed to go on the attack and mix the ranks of the musketeers. During the contact battle, there was no time left for a second shot.

In order to increase the rate of fire of matchlock guns, they began to manufacture multi-barreled weapons. The double-barreled musket was the result of a tactical necessity, when it became very important to be able to immediately strike again. But if such modernization did not take root in the line troops, then the sailors were able to appreciate all the advantages of such weapons.

Musket armed with pirates

In the era of colonial wars, when the Spanish fleet dominated the sea, muskets, along with pistols and arquebuses, became mandatory weapons on a ship. Handguns in the Navy were greeted with great enthusiasm. Unlike the army, where the main emphasis was on the actions of the infantry and cavalry, in a naval battle everything was decided much faster. The contact battle was preceded by a preliminary shelling of the enemy from all types of weapons. Firearms in this situation played a leading role, perfectly coping with their task. Artillery and rifle salvos could cause serious damage to the ship, rigging and manpower.

The muskets did their job perfectly. The heavy bullet easily destroyed the wooden structures of the ship. And the close-range shooting that usually preceded a boarding fight was more accurate and devastating. The double-barreled musket came in handy, by the way, doubling the firepower of the naval teams. It is this type of weapon that has practically survived to this day, representing a hunting rifle with two barrels. The only difference is that modern shotguns are loaded by breaking the frame, while muskets were loaded only from the barrel. On muskets, the barrels were located in a vertical plane, while in hunting rifles, a horizontal arrangement of barrels was adopted.

It is not for nothing that this type of weapon took root over time in a pirate environment, where the boarding battle was fought at short distances and there was not physically enough time to reload the weapon.

It should be noted that it was the French corsairs and filibusters who most quickly adopted the modernization of the musket, turning it into an effective melee weapon. First, the barrel of the weapon was shortened. A little later, even double-barreled samples appeared, allowing you to make a quick double shot. For two long centuries, the pirate musket, along with crooked knives and sabers, became a symbol of pirate prowess and courage. The main difference that distinguished the models of weapons used in the fleet with the muskets of the linear regiments was their weight. Starting from the 17th century, lightweight muskets appeared. Slightly reduced caliber and barrel length.

Now a strong and strong person could handle weapons alone. Basically, all significant changes in the design were made by the Dutch. Thanks to the efforts of the Dutch commanders, the rebel armies received new types of firearms. For the first time, muskets became lighter, which provided troops with better mobility. The French, during the War of the Spanish Succession, also managed to bring their own contribution to the design of the musket. It is their merit that the butt of the weapon has become flat and long. The French were the first to install bayonets on muskets, giving the soldiers additional offensive and defensive capabilities. The new regiments began to be called Fusiliers. The need for the services of pikemen disappeared. The armies received a more harmonious order of battle.

The merit of the French is that they provided the musket with a battery lock, making the French musket the most modern and effective firearms for that period. In this form, the musket essentially lasted almost a century and a half, giving impetus to the appearance of smooth-bore guns.

Features of the combat use of muskets

The main work of the weapon mechanisms is associated with the use of a trigger mechanism. The appearance of the castle gave impetus to the emergence of all subsequent types and methods of igniting the charge in handguns. Despite the relative simplicity of design, matchlock guns remained in service with European armies for a long time. This way of bringing into action was far from perfect. All matchlock guns have the same disadvantages:

• the wick had to be always kept in a smoldering state during the battle;
• at the musketeer ranks there was a special person responsible for the source of open fire;
• the wick is highly exposed to high humidity;
• no camouflage effect at night.

The shooter equipped his gun with a charge of gunpowder, pouring it through the barrel. After that, the gunpowder was rammed into the breech. Only after that a metal bullet was put into the barrel. This principle has not changed for almost two centuries. Only the appearance of paper cartridges simplified the situation on the battlefield a little.

Separate parts of the musket, such as the bed, called the buffet table, butt and trigger mechanism, remained unchanged. The caliber has changed over time, which has been slightly reduced. The design of the trigger mechanism has also changed. Since the middle of the 17th century, battery locks of the Le Bourgeois system have been installed on all firearms. In this form, the musket survived until the era of the Napoleonic wars, becoming the main weapon of the infantry. Private armies, filibusters, corsairs and robber gangs were the fastest to switch to new types of weapons. Muskets with a battery lock were much more convenient to use and in battle.

Pirates are credited with using shotgun shells to fire muskets. Thus, it was possible to significantly increase the damaging effect of the shot. A double-barreled musket with shortened barrels, firing shot, became a deadly melee weapon. During the boarding battle, it was not required to hit the target at a great distance. For effective fire, a distance of 35-70 m was sufficient. Armed with pistols and musketons, (a shortened version of the musket), pirate teams could successfully resist even warships, as evidenced by numerous historical factors. Shot-shots from muskets disabled the ship's rigging, after which it was boarded by assault teams.

Blunderbuss could be easily recognized by the expanding barrel cut. Some models used in naval battles did not have stocks and were adapted for kneeling. Shooting from a distance of 20-30 meters of shotgun shells, the blunderbuss was very effective in combat. Another advantage of this type of firearm is the loud effect of the shot. Short-barreled muskets made a thunderous sound when fired, producing a stunning psychological effect on the enemy. In addition to pirate ships, such guns were always on board each ship in case the crew was suppressed.

Finally

The story of the musket is an illustrative example of how a weapon, before reaching its perfection, went through a long and thorny battle path. Starting with the very first examples, the appearance of which was perceived with distrust and skepticism, muskets and arquebus managed to prove their effectiveness on the battlefield. It was this type of firearm that became the main one for all subsequent armies, laid the technological foundation for the subsequent appearance of the gun. First, the musketeers, a little later, the fusiliers and grenadiers, armed with smooth-bore flintlock guns, became the main operating force of any army.

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It is very easy to make a musket yourself - an ordinary iron water pipe with a diameter of 1/2 inch is taken (internal diameter is about 15 mm., Wall thickness is 2.4-3 mm
.) - it is necessary to carefully examine the seam for integrity (the first muskets were generally welded from separate strips - black powder does not detonate, it burns relatively slowly, so there are no sudden pressure surges and ordinary pipes can be used under it - it will not break if correctly loaded) , in the same way it is fastened with strips of steel (from an ordinary metal tape) in a groove in an oak forearm with a butt (out of 4 cm. Thickness of an oak board (preferably hardwoods, but pine can also be used) - a (non-separable) forearm with a butt is machined, butt it is machined in a shape corresponding to the butt of a hunting rifle (the forend can be taken about 40-50 cm. The butt is long - about 40 cm.) ), from below, to the forearm with a butt, you can attach a strap for wearing over your shoulder (the barrel itself can be taken -80-90 cm long).

From the back into the barrel (it is necessary to cut a thread at the end of the barrel to a depth of about 60-70 mm), a bolt with a thread with a diameter of 18 mm and a thread length of about 60-70 mm is screwed in. For reliability, a transverse hole is drilled in the bolt head for another bolt (8-10 mm in diameter), with which the main bolt - the breech is screwed perpendicularly to the forearm, so that the barrel or bolt does not tear out of the groove when fired and then it does not hit the face (in the head of the bolt - the breech it is convenient to carve a groove under the head of the transverse bolt - so that it does not interfere with aiming.
Then, in the trunk itself, a hole with a diameter of 1.2-1.5 mm is drilled transverse to the trunk (also the second hole in the second, opposite wall of the trunk) - the holes are located in the trunk at a distance of 1.2-1.7 cm. From the end of the screwed bolt (in the upper half of the barrel in thickness to reduce the release of gases through the hole), the powder charge is ignited through them. For the fuse, a piece of furnace heating wire made of nichrome with a diameter of 0.3-0.4 mm is used - inserted across the barrel through both holes (it is convenient to insert the wire with a medical needle), in the same place, near the holes in the forearm, clamps are attached - contacts (as a clamp you can use chrome-plated screw connections of wires from the socket / switch - a wire is soldered to them, instead of a screw, a piece of an electrode / a long threaded screw is made, bent at the end for twisting by hand) (the piece of the spiral itself is covered with glue (silicate) at the edges so that there is electrical insulation from the metal of the barrel, and the rest of it with any easily combustible glue, in addition, the wire can be slightly pierced in the middle), - the fuse (through wires) is connected to batteries or portable batteries and a shot is fired (it is convenient to use a switch as a trigger, wires from it fit into the forearm in the grooves, and in the lower part of the butt there is a nest (similar to antennas wow), where the wires from the batteries from the bag or belt are connected) - the easiest way (without a flint trigger, charging shelf, without gears, springs, etc.), the main thing is to avoid oxidation of the contacts.

A metal rod is attached to the barrel from below (on metal ferrules - from an ordinary metal tape) - a ramrod (with a diameter of 6-7 mm. With a barrel length of 70 cm or more), in order to send a bullet into the barrel by slightly pressing on the ramrod, from one end of the ramrod (attached to threads or cuts) a metal brush (it can be from a part of a metal sponge) - after each shot - it is advisable to clean it from soot so that it is easier to load and avoid jamming the bullet when fired.
After the manufacture of the musket, it must be balanced - so that the center of balance is located at the level of 7-10 cm. From the trigger (horizontally) (in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe powder charge) - closer to the barrel, for this - holes are drilled in the rear (end) part of the butt (up to 10-12 cm. Depth is possible and 10-12 mm in diameter) (first, lead in separate pieces (in a light container) is suspended from the butt (at its very end) (the musket itself is suspended with the trigger down) to determine its required amount for balance at this point, 7-10 cm from the trigger) and the holes are filled with this lead.
The total weight of the musket is about 3.5-4 kg. (At this weight, the return is negligible.
At the end of the barrel, it is convenient to place a front sight made of metal plates, attached to the barrel with a metal strip, it is convenient to make it slightly moveable on the screws in a direction perpendicular to the barrel, in order to then center it on the targets.

Lead spherical bullets according to the barrel caliber (cylindrical bullets, in the absence of rifling in the barrel bore, do not fly accurately, turn over in flight and are strongly blown away as a result of uneven windage of the sides to the side) - first, a metal ball is turned (for example, from a bearing) to the desired diameter , this same diameter is carefully monitored with a caliper throughout the ball (this ball must pass the entire! Barrel with some little effort), then it is made of gypsum (alabaster) with the addition of cement (1: 2-1: 3 (cement: alabaster by volume) form - an impression of two equal halves (when making impressions - halves of the form, it is convenient to separate them from each other with thin oiled paper) (it is convenient to place the halves of the form in rings - cuts from a large pipe to avoid destruction), it is also convenient to make grooves in them for exact alignment halves (or, after hardening, drill two symmetrically located (relative to the central recess) holes for metal. Rods (an it is convenient to lubricate the surface with solid oil to avoid chipping of the material), and after the gypsum with cement has hardened (about a day), the bullet gun is ready (a small hole is then machined in it for pouring, this protrusion on the resulting bullets is bitten off with wire cutters.
The bullet gun is slightly clamped in a small vise and lead is poured into it, a bullet is obtained - a complete copy of the previously calibrated ball. Also, bullets (made of metal) can be machined on CNC machines.

Loading. Usually it takes 2-3 minutes, but you can, if you wish, keep within 1 minute.
Put the musket with the butt on the ground, remove the ramrod, clean the barrel with a ramrod (from soot from the previous shot), then insert a funnel into the barrel (you can put it directly into the barrel without it), scoop up gunpowder with a measuring cup (once the weight of the bullets is measured, then used their average weight, gunpowder is measured by weight-1/2 of the weight of the bullet, a container for gunpowder is made of this size (a measuring cup is obtained for the volume of gunpowder, which has a weight of 10-11 gr.), Pour it into the funnel (slightly pinching the side (ignition) holes in the barrel - gunpowder spills out of them a little), pull out the funnel, put a small wad of their newspaper into the barrel (you can do without it - immediately insert a bullet), push it with a ramrod until it stops, pull the ramrod out of the barrel, then lower it into the barrel a bullet (you can stuff it with cyanide (see below), send it by lightly tapping it with a ramrod until it stops, pull out the ramrod, insert the ramrod into the groove under the barrel, get the previously measured and cut off piece of fuse wire, previously coated with glue as described here (insert it into a medical needle so that the end of this wire protrudes slightly from the end of the needle), then insert this ignition wire across the barrel into the holes (it is convenient to slightly blunt the needle with a file), clamp first in one clamp, turning the thumb of the screw, then pull the needle out of the hole in the barrel and clamp the remaining end of the wire in the other clamp (which is on the other side of the barrel) (if the needle is thin, then the needle is first inserted into both holes across the barrel, then the end coated with glue is inserted cutting the wire to the end of the needle and the wire is pulled behind the needle (through the barrel) when it is pulled out of the barrel), shake the barrel slightly to compact the powder around the wire, plug the wire connector from the battery into the socket on the butt, check the contact with a weak current (on accumulators (batteries) in a bag (or on a belt) it is convenient to make a switch with an indicator light and a resistor (the wire from them is connected to the socket on the butt), (by switching the switch on the battery to an indicator light and a resistor, and turning on the switch (trigger) on the musket itself) - the light is on, which means there is contact; then turn off the switch on the musket (trigger), returning it to its original position, switch the switch on the battery back to the circuit without a resistor, to the combat position (it is important not to confuse here - so that a premature shot does not occur. Everything, you can aim the enemy. The musket is ready to fire. Although loading is somewhat difficult, the probability of a misfire is minimal.

(It is first desirable to clean the barrel from rust and irregularities - the first shot is fired with a wire (weighing a total of about 18 gr. (With the same charge of gunpowder) with a diameter of 2.5-3 mm. And a length (of scraps) of about 1 cm., the following 1 -2 shots are fired with a larger wire - an electrode (4-5 mm in diameter) is cut into pieces 5-7 mm long (Also about 18 grams in total), then the next shot is made with the same 1st wire (charged - gunpowder, then wad, then cut wire / (cut electrode), then 2nd wad.

Bullet weight is about 20 grams. (With a charge weight of 10-11 gr. Smoke. Gunpowder) and when firing from a barrel 90 cm long. Penetrates up to 25 cm. Pine trunk.

Accordingly, first it must be tested with the 2nd - 2.5th charge of gunpowder (with the same bullet weight.

Advantage - the described musket is easy to disassemble and assemble - for this you need to carry 2 keys - one for 17 mm., the other for 12-13 mm. And a screwdriver. It is easy to disassemble - the ramrod is removed, the nut is unscrewed on the transverse bolt (bolt with a diameter of 10 mm.), Passing through the head of the breech screw and through the forearm, the bolt is removed, 6 mm are released. - e screws with nuts on three clamps (which compress the barrel with the forearm), the clamps are removed (they can simply be moved forward) and the barrel is removed from the groove. The fore-end is 90 cm long. And the barrel is 90 cm. ) with a strap - a strap for wearing over the shoulder.

It is also easy to make a small gun that shoots large lead balls with your own hands (you can use the same musket bullets, there can be more layers of them - the full weight of the core of that caliber.
For shooting large balls - an additional bullet gun is made for large balls, you can take the diameter of the balls about 2.4 cm (weighing more than 65 gr.) So that they can fit up to 3 pieces in one layer (the diameter of the balls is in the 1st layer of 3 pieces between them (in this layer) a gap of at least 1.5-2 mm was obtained.) (These balls in the tool are located in height - about 2.5 layers, thus, no more -7-8 balls (about 2.4 cm in diameter) (less than 3 layers for such large balls (not 9 pcs), otherwise blockage and rupture of the barrel is possible (in no case - not with a core - the barrel may break. Conveniently use 50 mm (inner diameter) ordinary new thick-walled water pipe with walls of 4.3-5 mm (about 1-1.4 m long) (carefully examine the seam) (in the case of smoke powder with a relatively low burning rate - this is possible - (- the first cannons were from tree trunks hollowed out from the inside, seized by metal hoops).
Similarly - on the side of the barrel there is a 2-x - 2.5 mm hole (in the upper half of the barrel in thickness, and the hole is at some slope across the barrel to reduce the release of gases through the hole), the fuse - in the same way, you can shoot from a wire with a piece nichrome spirals (from electric stoves) powered by batteries or batteries.
From the back, such a small tool is closed according to a special technique (all welded plates are simply torn off) - you can find a solid metal blank with a transverse hole (you can use a set of pieces of pipes of different diameters about 15-17 cm long, which are put on one another, after of this, the ends of the resulting blank are carefully welded by electric welding, then a transverse hole is cut by electric welding (in the center of the resulting blank) - with a diameter of 2.2-2.5 cm.), Exactly the same is cut in the back of the barrel, then into the barrel, aligning the holes, the resulting plug is inserted, after that, a piece of reinforcement with a diameter of about 2.5 cm is inserted into the hole across the barrel. And all joints are carefully welded, the rear end part is also welded in the same way. Thus, a strong locking of the breech is obtained, as well as very convenient handles from the back of the barrel, with which it is convenient to hook the gun to the carriage (they should protrude no more than 4-6 cm from the barrel, otherwise, when fixed in the carriage, they will bend from recoil .

In no case should pyroxylin, TNT, etc. be used with such barrels - they will break - they require special seamless thick-walled steel. The weight of the charge (smoky powder) is about 1/3 of the weight of metal bullets (the calculation was made by the weight of a cast-iron core of this caliber (taking into account the standard clearance for cast-iron guns) - about 470-490 gr. - the weight of the metal part of the charge. In terms of volume - approximately , a table glass of black powder - about 170 g It is dangerous to use large calibers for guns made of ordinary plumbing steel even under black powder.

Measured charges of gunpowder can be placed in bags of paper or cotton for convenience. rags (polyethylene is dangerous - pieces may remain in the barrel after a shot and smolder, which will lead to a premature next shot after the next charge.

It is also tested - 1, 5th -2nd charge of gunpowder (with the same charge of bullets - more - it can jam.

When testing - set fire to it with a long wire from batteries or a power supply from a shelter (it is better to test somewhere in the basement.

When shooting, you need a good hard stop or reliable fastening to the carriage (the carriage must be fixed with bipods dug into the ground.

Loading. Similarly to a musket - gunpowder is poured, then a wad of paper is larger and bullets (7-8 pieces of 65-70 gr. (In no case, not 9 pieces) (about 2.4 cm in diameter) Or 22 pieces. muskets, 20 g each.) Then a small wad on top, so that when the bullets do not roll out when tilted, it is compacted (instead of a ramrod) with any wooden stick - a piece of a pole from a shovel will do. Then, a wire with a glow wire is inserted from the side, it is possible - an ignition tube - a thin rod densely packed with gunpowder.

Multi-shot musket.

You can also assemble a home-made multi-shot musket - for this, a metal forearm is made from a pipe with a diameter of 30-40 mm (to which the barrel is attached with screws) with a folding butt, a groove for a drum with cartridges is made in this forearm.

The cartridges themselves are made from scraps of pipes of the same diameter as the barrel, from the back they are closed with short bolts. A wire for a fuse, a charge, a wad and bullets are immediately inserted into them (they are stuffed in advance and covered with wax (paraffin) on top to protect against moisture), after turning the cartridge (with a drum) to the barrel, electric clamps are attached to the protruding parts of the wires on the cartridge.

Thus - with your own hands, in the presence of a small garage with a manual (enough) drill, electric welding, a certain number of pipes, bolts, pliers, a vice, a grinding wheel - you can assemble a whole arsenal.

Moreover, it is absolutely independent of stores with cartridges, machine guns, pistols, etc.

A cannon with buckshot (small balls) completely replaces a machine gun at close range - up to 200 m. With such a caliber of balls - about 2.4 cm. And their weight is from 65-70 grams - it will apparently pierce an armored personnel carrier if it hits perpendicularly hull surface.

Blunderbuss. Description

At first, small guns were called that, throwing cores from 20 to 28 lots (250-350 grams), and later a special kind of short-barreled guns for cavalry or sailors, whose muzzle was wider than the projectile. Such a barrel arrangement made it possible to load weapons with buckshot (or simply chopped lead). The shortened barrel made the blunderbuss lighter than the musket, but made shooting less accurate. Accuracy was somewhat compensated only by the large area of ​​damage when firing buckshot. Moreover, when shooting at a gallop, it was not easy to aim in any case, and in a naval battle, the blunderbuss was used during boarding, where the fire was fired almost point-blank.

Guns of this type appear around the middle of the 16th century and were originally used mainly in the navy, from the second half of the 17th century also in the cavalry. Cavalry blunderbusses, as well as carbines, had a metal bracket on the left side (the so-called shoulder strap), for which a hook was fixed at the bottom of the sling running over the left shoulder. Thus, the blunderbuss hung freely from the right side of the rider, barrel down, allowing you to control the horse. If necessary, it could be quickly grabbed and fired. In some countries (England, Holland, France, Italy) blunderbusses could be called tromblons or trombones.

Blunderbuss with a small bell (funnel) of a round or elliptical shape on the muzzle were very common. The purpose of the bell is to facilitate the falling of gunpowder and buckshot into the barrel (which was especially important for cavalrymen). During the production of musketons, there was a common misconception that the bell increases the spread of buckshot (and, accordingly, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdamage), although this is actually not the case: in order to increase the spread of buckshot, it was necessary not only to make a funnel at the end of the barrel, but to make the entire barrel in the form of a uniformly expanding cone. Such weapons, however, were also made, but extremely rarely (due to the high cost); one of his examples is the "secret howitzer".

The musketon caliber reached 25 mm, and the weight of the buckshot was 60-80 g. The barrel length was 900-930 mm, the total 1200-1250 mm.

Received special distribution in the XVIII century in the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman tromblons differed from European samples of such weapons primarily in their small size and decor.

Blunderbuss (tromblons) were popular with Spanish smugglers and pirates until the beginning of the 20th century; they called it "trabuco", which is why they got the name trabukers.

There were also pistols of a similar design, especially popular in the second half of the 18th century and at the beginning of the 19th.

Double-barreled saddle pistol cal.50, Germany, circa 1900

Howdah, howdah, howdah (howdah, the word itself means "elephant saddle") - a short-barreled large-caliber weapon chambered for a hunting cartridge.

Haudahis originated as hunting double-barreled shotguns and were used in colonial India by elephant-mounted hunters to protect themselves from the attack of a wounded tiger as a "weapon of last chance". Initially, they were smooth-bore, without sights, since they had to be fired almost point-blank. Subsequently, similar sawn-off pistols with a more comfortable handle began to be specially made by gunsmiths, they were also made rifled; often the caliber coincided with the caliber of the hunter's main weapon. English officers used them not only for hunting, but also in combat, as it was believed that they were more reliable than a regular revolver. Haudahi were not only double-barreled, but even four-barreled. The classical image of howdah was formed in the years 1830-1850. The most famous are the haudahs of Lancaster, Wilkinson, and Westley Richards.

The use of howdah when hunting lions can be seen in the film.

In 2007, on the basis of the IZH-43 gun, the Howuda MR-341 traumatic self-defense weapon was released. It is a short double-barreled sawn-off shotgun chambered for a specially designed 35-mm 12-caliber cartridge with a rubber bullet.

Video Two seconds. Musket Lepage

Arquebus. The meaning of the word "arquebus"

• Arquebus (fr. arquebuse) (not to be confused with the concept of "arquebus") - a smooth-bore, muzzle-loading matchlock gun, one of the original examples of handguns, which appeared in 1379 in Germany. Also installed in loopholes.
  It was loaded from the muzzle, fired with a short arrow or stone, and later lead bullets. The powder charge was ignited with a matchlock. The weight of the arquebus was about 3 kilograms, the caliber was 15-17 mm. A bullet fired from an arquebus at the end of the 15th century had a muzzle velocity of about 300 m/s and pierced heavy knightly armor at a distance of up to 30-35 meters. Approximately the same was the aiming range. The barrel length in the 15th century was 30-40 calibers. This was due to the imperfect technology of manufacturing barrels, as well as the fact that until the beginning of the 16th century powder pulp was used (grain gunpowder was invented later), and it was difficult to load long-barreled weapons with it. The use of an arquebus in the rain was almost impossible due to wick ignition.
  Initially, the arquebus was a crossbow of a special design (known as an arquebus) with a closed stock, which was loaded with metal balls (hence the name - arque + buse) - then they began to use gunpowder and a wick - this is how the first hand firearms appeared.
  From German Haken buchse - literally hook + tube = hook. Initially, there was no shoulder butt, there was an axillary yoke, so the squeaker was clamped in the armpit and relied on a special hook-hook on the squeakers (see hand bombard). The caliber of the first (XIV-XV cc.) hand-held hooks could be 30-40 mm, but the initial speed left much to be desired (100-150 m/s), and the penetrating power was also low. Therefore, it was said that firearms inspired fear more with their roar and flame than with real benefits. Later, in the 16th century, granulated gunpowder appeared, long barrels, the caliber of the arquebus decreased to 20-22 mm and the weight of the core - a lead bullet - to 50 g, the muzzle velocity of the bullet is estimated at 200-250 m / s. From here comes the name - musket (musquet) - a weapon that shoots something small (cf. mosquito, fly). At the same time, in order to distinguish a specialized heavy gun from any other (after the battle of Pavia, with Spain) - for example, a hunting one, where such a large caliber is not needed - the former term "arquebus" began to be used, in the sense of a gun / squeaker in general, although these arquebuses have no hook-hooks at all. Since then (XVI century), obviously, the definition of small-caliber light guns has been assigned to arquebuses. The strength of the recoil of some arquebuses can be judged by the shortened butts, which were not adapted for the shoulder rest - they were simply pressed against the cheek.

Kulevrina is an arquebus-type handgun, which was in service with French soldiers in the 14th-16th centuries. Kulevrina could fire at a significantly distant target. The very first mention of the use of a culverin during a battle dates back to 1425. The caliber of the shells used varied from 15 to 25 mm. Depending on the design, the gun could weigh from 2 to 30 kg with a barrel length of 1.5 to 2.5 m. The kulevrina was equipped with a curved wooden butt, which was not pressed against the shoulder or cheek during firing, but clamped under the arm.

Several shallow but long grooves were often made on the stock and buttstock, which made it possible to slightly reduce the weight of the gun. The metal barrel, most often made of iron or bronze, was attached to the wooden stock with the help of special rings, most often five or seven, but their number always remained odd. The barrel of the cooler was made six- or octahedral on the outside and rounded, threaded inside.

In Russia, this type of weapon was called squeakers. Over time, due to the tendency to reduce the mass and size of guns, the principle of operation of the cooler was taken as the basis for the creation of pistols and small-caliber guns. Also, long-barreled guns, called culverins, were widely used in naval battles of the 16th-17th centuries. Such guns were installed on the shores or ships and used to destroy enemy ships and manpower.

Unlike the cannons that were widespread at that time, the cooler had not a smooth, but a rifled barrel, which increased the strength of the weapon and at the same time made it possible to conduct more accurate aimed fire. Such devices were no longer loaded with the help of a muzzle hole, but from the treasury, while a device with a breech-loading system could be equipped with several charging chambers, which were screwed into the barrel in a special way. However, the cost of such a gun was at first very high, which significantly reduced its distribution in the army.

Coulevrin samples of the 16th–17th centuries. were known in many European countries, including Russia, although they were also available in small quantities. The model of this weapon, manufactured in Russian weapons artels, was used in the capture of Kazan.

In the XV century. buckshot was invented and began to be widely used. But shooting from a cooler with such a projectile was ineffective: because of the elongated barrel, the buckshot could not fly apart and therefore brought a small destructive effect. Therefore, until the beginning of the XVII century. the culverins were fired mainly with cannonballs. Guns of this type were practically not used during the siege or capture of cities, since the culverins did not have sufficient shot power to destroy fortress walls and other important fortifications. Therefore, if it was necessary to destroy a fortress or city wall, bombard and heavy guns were used. However, until the 17th century such equipment was very expensive, methods for casting barrels were not fully developed, and a good, high-quality gun that did not explode during trials or in battle was often obtained by accident. Fundamental improvements in casting techniques come only in the middle of the 17th century, when casting methods appear that, without reducing the quality of the shot, make it possible to reduce the length of the barrel.

But interest in the culverin does not disappear even with the advent of improved versions of bombardment guns. Therefore, this type of weaponry was used until the end of the 18th century. - largely due to the high accuracy of the shot and the range of the projectile.

Shooting from the culverin was carried out by two soldiers at once: the shooter (couleveriner) and his assistant. A more experienced kulevriner aimed the gun at the target and fired a shot, the duties of the servant included igniting the charge of gunpowder, carrying the gun and caring for it. Often the cooler had a special stand for the convenience of firing and targeting.

There are many historical facts that prove the active use of culverins during the battle. So, for example, the Duke of Burgundy had in Flanders up to 4000 active guns weighing from 10 to 12 kg. And in 1432, Duke Sigismund also armed his guards with hand coolers.

The musket is the first firearm of mass use. For the first time, the Spaniards used muskets in battle with the French back in 1515. The effectiveness of weapons that pierced enemy armor through and through was undeniable.

The device of the musket Muskets consisted of a valley barrel (up to 140 cm) and a short butt, in which a cutout for the thumb was made. The weight of the weapon reached 7 kg. Often, the shooter had to put the barrel of the musket on a special stand - a buffet table. A large return did not allow pressing the musket to the shoulder, it was kept on weight, only slightly leaning against the cheek while aiming. The charge was ignited by means of a smoldering wick, pressed against the shelf with gunpowder by the trigger. Initially, the trigger was a long lever located under the butt. But over time, the device of the musket has undergone changes, and the trigger began to be made in the form of a short trigger. The weapon was loaded through the muzzle. Shooting from muskets The need to reload the musket after each shot led to a special formation of soldiers and the order of firing. Soldiers with weapons (musketeers) lined up in a special way - rectangular squares 10-12 rows deep; having fired a volley, the front row retreated back, giving way to the next. While the front row was firing, the rear ones were loading weapons. Shooting a musket and loading a weapon was a very difficult task. Musket era did it strictly on commands. Even special books were published in which positions were illustrated when reloading a musket. Muskets in the Russian army Muskets appeared in the Russian army in the 17th century. At the beginning of the 18th century, along with musketeers, in Russia there were fuseler infantry units armed with flintlock guns (fuzei). During the reform of 1715, muskets in the Russian army are completely replaced by fusees; musket regiments are renamed fuselery regiments. In 1756 the name "musket" is assigned to the fusees, the parts again become musketeers. In 1786, the small arms of the infantry received the name "gun", and in 1811 the musketeer units were renamed infantry.

The total length of the musket was 180 cm, and it weighed about 8 kg, so a support was needed when firing. A buffet table (stand) was placed, which was stuck into the ground at one end, and a supporting trunk lay on the other.

With an increase in caliber to 23 mm (for an arquebus it was 15-17 mm), the weight of the bullet also increased. At the musket, she began to weigh 50-60 grams. The firing range at the same time was 200-240 meters, and at that distance the bullet easily pierced the most durable armor. However, to hit the enemy with a musket, you had to try very hard. There was only a 60% chance that a two-by-two-meter target set at a distance of 70 meters would be hit.

In addition, only a person with good physical training could withstand the powerful recoil when fired. In order to somehow soften the blow, a padded pad was put on the shoulder, which played the role of a shock absorber.

In order to load the musket, it was necessary to perform a whole ritual.

Muskets. Combat use

The musket of the 16th-17th centuries was very heavy (7-9 kg) and, in fact, was a semi-stationary weapon - it was usually fired from an emphasis in the form of a special stand, bipod, reed (the use of the latter option is not recognized by all researchers), the walls of the fortress or sides of the ship. Larger and heavier than muskets from hand weapons were only fortress guns, the fire from which was already fired exclusively from a fork on the fortress wall or a special hook (hook). To weaken the recoil, the arrows sometimes put a leather pillow on the right shoulder or wore a special steel armor. Locks were in the 16th century - wick or wheel, in the 17th - sometimes flintlocks, but most often wick. In Asia, there were also analogues of the musket, such as the Central Asian multuk (karamultuk).

The musket was reloaded on average for about one and a half to two minutes. True, already at the beginning of the 17th century there were virtuoso shooters who managed to fire several non-aimed shots per minute, but in battle such shooting at speed was usually impractical and even dangerous due to the abundance and complexity of methods for loading a musket, which included about three dozen separate operations, each of which it was necessary to perform with great care, constantly monitoring the smoldering wick located near the flammable gunpowder. However, most of the musketeers neglected the statutory instructions and loaded the muskets as it was easier for them, which is directly evidenced in the German-Russian statute. To increase reload speed, many musketeers avoided the laborious operation of a ramrod. Instead, a charge of gunpowder was first poured into the barrel, followed by a bullet (usually several bullets were held in the mouth). Then, quickly hitting the ground with the butt, the charge was additionally nailed, and the musketeer was ready to fire. Such an initiative of the personnel has been preserved all the new time, as evidenced by some sources of the 18-19 centuries. It was difficult to accurately measure the charge in battle, so special bandoliers were invented, each of which contained a pre-measured amount of gunpowder per shot. Usually they were hung on the uniform, and in some images of musketeers they are clearly visible. Only at the end of the 17th century was a paper cartridge slightly increased in rate of fire was invented - a soldier tore the shell of such a cartridge with his teeth, poured a small amount of gunpowder onto the seed shelf, and poured the rest of the gunpowder together with the bullet into the barrel and tamped it with a ramrod and wad.

Arquebus shot

In view of the established opinion, it seems to many that the arquebus has Spanish roots, but if you look at the terminology, it turns out that the word arquebus is German, it was in Germany that the first arquebus samples appeared at the end of the 15th century, and had the name “hakenbucdse”. There is no literal translation, but it can be roughly translated as a gun with a hook. This type of weapon quickly spread throughout all European countries, where it won recognition as a powerful weapon by those standards. The arquebus was brought to Russia from Poland and Germany, and was called the arquebus. Basically, they were armed with the royal detachments, which later became known as archers.

The arquebus has undergone many changes, and its later modification, the musket, became a weapon of the infantry and cavalry of all countries of the world until the end of the 18th century. The appearance and dimensions changed over time, or for the needs of individual branches of the military, but the main principle remained unchanged. In the era of geographical discoveries, the arquebus spread to the east, it is worth noting that it was during this period of time that there was a big leap in the development of firearms. In the middle of the XVI century, this type of weapon appears in Japan.

Arquebus in action

Despite all the primitiveness of the samples, it has established itself as a reliable and powerful weapon that reliably hits the target from the first shot. The design is an iron tube fixed on a wooden stock, the charge was laid from the breech side, the ignition came from the fire of the wick, hence the name of the wick weapon. Large-caliber spherical lead bullets were used for firing.

The first guns with a wick lock were extremely inconvenient, and most importantly unreliable, the shot from them depended on the weather conditions, which caused difficulties for the shooter, and among the shortcomings one can single out the colossal weight of the weapon in modern times, the infantryman during the fighting had to use a gun in a weight of 20 kg. In view of such dimensions, it became inevitable to divide these weapons into 2 classes, into lighter ones and heavy ones, which were mainly used for defense, and the shooting was carried out from cover.

For lack of a butt, the use of arquebuses was limited, with aimed shooting, the shooter clamped the gun under his arm, and shooting was possible only from the stop. On German models for these purposes there was a carriage support, which greatly simplified aiming. In technological terms, the production of weapons left much to be desired, but it was simpler than a crossbow, and as a result cheaper to manufacture. Easy to use, operate, and maintain, this type of weapon is in demand, even taking into account its weaknesses. The first samples that the German units were armed with could fire at a distance of no more than 100 steps, an accurate shot required a good preparation of the shooter, and proper weather, often the damp gunpowder did not ignite, which caused a misfire. The crossbow showed itself to be more confident, its heavy bolts were able to fly up to 200 meters, and the density of fire was many times higher. And accuracy was also a problem for the first samples of the arquebus, only dense fire could guarantee the defeat of the target.

Most people know very roughly. First of all, this word is associated with the heroes of the novels by A. Dumas - the famous French musketeers. Many will be surprised to learn that the first musket did not appear at all in France, and the French have nothing to do with its invention. And they first learned about what a musket was in completely unpleasant circumstances for themselves.

The history of the appearance of the musket

By the beginning of the 16th century, the soldiers’ equipment had reached such a level that the “light” firearms available at that time simply lost their effectiveness. The bullets fired from the arquebus (the predecessor of the musket), due to their low weight (18-20 grams) and small caliber, could not penetrate the armor and chain mail of the enemy soldiers. A new weapon was required, with increased damaging properties. And the invention of granular gunpowder became a fundamental factor for the modernization of weapons and the creation of a musket.

The first musket (a gun with a long barrel and a matchlock) appeared in Spain, and, according to some historians, it was invented by the Spanish gunsmith Mokketo from the city of Veletra. His invention had a barrel, the length of which reached 140 cm. It was the increase in the length of the barrel that made it possible to increase the caliber of the gun and the mass of the gunpowder charge, and, accordingly, its firing range and penetration ability.

But to increase the length of the barrel just allowed granular gunpowder. It did not need to be pushed to the breech of the gun with a ramrod, as was required to be done with powder pulp that adhered to the walls of the bore. Now the powder granules were poured to the breech without outside help, and the wad was hammered on top with a ramrod. In addition, such gunpowder burned densely and evenly, which also increased the initial speed and range of the bullet.

Characteristics of the first musket

The total length of the musket was 180 cm, and it weighed about 8 kg, so a support was needed when firing. A buffet table (stand) was placed, which was stuck into the ground at one end, and a supporting trunk lay on the other.

With an increase in caliber to 23 mm (for an arquebus it was 15-17 mm), the weight of the bullet also increased. At the musket, she began to weigh 50-60 grams. The firing range at the same time was 200-240 meters, and at that distance the bullet easily pierced the most durable armor. However, to hit the enemy with a musket, you had to try very hard. There was only a 60% chance that a two-by-two-meter target set at a distance of 70 meters would be hit.

In addition, only a person with good physical training could withstand the powerful recoil when fired. In order to somehow soften the blow, a padded pad was put on the shoulder, which played the role of a shock absorber.

In order to load the musket, it was necessary to perform a whole ritual.

The musket was loaded through the muzzle hole. Gunpowder was poured into it from a special wooden case (charger), which was necessary for firing one shot. Gunpowder in the charges, which were hung on the gunner's harness, was measured in advance. Fine gunpowder was poured onto the seed shelf of the musket from the natruska (small powder flask). The bullet was pushed into the barrel with the help of a ramrod. The charge was ignited with a smoldering wick, which was pressed by a lever against the seed shelf. The gunpowder ignited and pushed the bullet out.

Thus, it took about 2 minutes to prepare for a shot, at that time it was considered a good rate of fire.

Initially, only infantry was armed with muskets, and the calculation for servicing the musket consisted of two people: the second number watched the burning wick, and also carried ammunition and a buffet table.

for musketeers

Due to the low rate of fire, special tactics were used for the use of muskets. Soldiers armed with muskets lined up in a rectangular square, the depth of which could reach 12 ranks. After the first rank fired a volley, she gave way to the next, while she herself retreated to the end of the formation to reload muskets. Thus, the shooting was carried out almost continuously. Musketeers performed all actions on command, including the loading process.

Armament with muskets of Europe

In 1515, the French first learned what a musket was in a battle with Spanish soldiers. Musket bullets easily pierced the strongest armor. The Spaniards, with the help of their long-barreled novelties, won an unconditional victory over the French.

In 1521, muskets were already adopted en masse by the Spanish army. And in 1525, again in the battle with the French, which received the historical name "Battle of Pavia", the Spaniards showed in all their glory all the superiority of muskets over other weapons. The Musketeers proved to be an insurmountable wall for the French cavalry.

It was after this battle that they decided to learn more about what a musket is in Europe. They began to equip infantry units in France and Germany, and later - in other European states.

In the future, the musket began to undergo improvements. Gunsmiths from Germany replaced the wick Trigger, which replaced the lever, released a spring with a flint, which, when struck on an armchair, cut out sparks that ignited gunpowder. The need for a wick disappeared.

The Dutch improved the barrel. They replaced the metal from which it was made with a softer one. This ruled out cases of its rupture when fired.

The Spaniards, borrowing the experience of the Dutch and lightening the musket to 4.5 kg, created weapons for the cavalry. Such a musket became universal, it could be used in any kind of military service, which was done in all European armies.