@stug3030 "So he doesn't get smoke or dust in his eyes maybe?"
Oh yes, black powder is messy stuff and burns much slower than modern explosives used in guns today. The burning priming powder flies up out of the pan often. Even if you duck your head, you can still get blackness on your forehead and eyebrows. it's not really necessary to look down the barrel to "aim" it. The weapon is so imprecise, it's more of a point in the general direction thing.
It is widely presumed that many infantrymen with muskets turned away from their muskets for a few reasons. The most common was, at the time, speed loading ment that you may get too much powder in the frizzen and therefore when you pulled the trigger and the flint and steel of the lock ignited the powder in the frizzen, it could flash a big poof of flame into your face if you would happen to get a little carried away with your priming.
Another reason for 'ducking the head' was, at the time, muskets didnt come equipped with what is called a 'flashguard'. this piece of brass forms a wall around the outer edge of the frizzen and prevents the flash of the powder in the pan from shooting into the face of the comrade next to you. So ducking your head also protected your face from your comrades 'flash in the pan'.
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@stug3030 "So he doesn't get smoke or dust in his eyes maybe?"
Oh yes, black powder is messy stuff and burns much slower than modern explosives used in guns today. The burning priming powder flies up out of the pan often. Even if you duck your head, you can still get blackness on your forehead and eyebrows. it's not really necessary to look down the barrel to "aim" it. The weapon is so imprecise, it's more of a point in the general direction thing.
drfoxcourt 1 year ago
lol
guythatEATStheCHIP97 2 years ago
It is widely presumed that many infantrymen with muskets turned away from their muskets for a few reasons. The most common was, at the time, speed loading ment that you may get too much powder in the frizzen and therefore when you pulled the trigger and the flint and steel of the lock ignited the powder in the frizzen, it could flash a big poof of flame into your face if you would happen to get a little carried away with your priming.
ShawnC15 1 year ago
Another reason for 'ducking the head' was, at the time, muskets didnt come equipped with what is called a 'flashguard'. this piece of brass forms a wall around the outer edge of the frizzen and prevents the flash of the powder in the pan from shooting into the face of the comrade next to you. So ducking your head also protected your face from your comrades 'flash in the pan'.
ShawnC15 1 year ago 2
I wonder why he looked down at the last second?
paulkj1956 3 years ago