Quote:
|
Originally Posted by SIGSHR
Not familiar with the recruiting standards for Crown Forces in say 1776 but I suspect as long as you had two eyes and they both functioned-more or less-you passed,
|
If I have my facts straight, you had to have good teeth, so you could tear open the paper cartridges that held the premeasured charges and round ball loaded into the muskets.
Yes, and smoothbores can double as shotguns. The Brown Bess was an 11 gauge. The .69 caliber French musket used by the Colonial Army was a 14 gauge.
Also, a smoothbore is a dream to clean compared to a rifle, especially one with deep grooves.
Where rifling really doesn't make sense is short barrel Derringer style pistols. I have a Philadelphia Derringer, no rear sight, but by golly, they did rifle the barrel.
