“How To” Corner-Loading a Musket
By Caleb Mesman
If you ever want to join the military, you're going to want to know how to load and shoot a musket, the most popular firearm used. This is today's topic of the How To Corner.
Loading a weapon is not a complicated task, but to do it correctly, you need skill and practice. The officers will tell you what to do by giving commands such as “Prime and Load” or “Draw Ramrods.” When being commanded to “Prime and Load,” the soldier is to make a quarter turn to the right while bringing the musket to priming position. The pan should be open after the previous fire.
Next, “Handle Cartridge.” The soldier draws a cartridge from the pouch worn either on the front of the belt or on the hip. They pull the paper off of the cartridge with their teeth and spit it out. When being commanded to “Prime,” pull the hammer to half cock and pour a small amount of the powder from the cartridge into the priming pan. Close the frizzen so that the powder is trapped.
When commanded to “About,” lower the butt of the musket so the barrel is easily accessible. Pour the rest of the cartridge down the barrel and flipped so the ball is facing up. This is then also put in the barrel. The remaining paper is put in the barrel to act as a plug to prevent the ball and powder falling out if the barrel is lowered. When commanded “Draw Ramrods,” pull the ramrod from the compartment below the barrel, flip it so that the large end was facing down, and inserted about an inch down the barrel.
Next, “Ram Down Cartridge.”upon this command, soldiers are to ram down the wadding, bullet and powder.Then flip the rod and return it about half way in the holder. The next command is “Return Rammers.” Soldier must quickly return the rammer the rest of the way. You then hold out your right arm parallel to the ground, with the right fingertips touching the bayonet lug.
When commanded to “Make Ready,”bring the musket straight up and down, perpendicular to the ground. Have the lock facing the soldiers face and pulled back to full cock. The next command is to “Present,”or raise the butt to your shoulder and the barrel to shooting level. Sight in by aiming down the barrel.
The final order given is “Fire.” pull the trigger and the musket, if correctly loaded, would fire. After a full second, lower the musket back to loading position. Soldiers drill this into their heads so much that only the command given was “prime and load” Properly trained soldiers were able to do this 4 times in less than a minute.
Loading a weapon is not a complicated task, but to do it correctly, you need skill and practice. The officers will tell you what to do by giving commands such as “Prime and Load” or “Draw Ramrods.” When being commanded to “Prime and Load,” the soldier is to make a quarter turn to the right while bringing the musket to priming position. The pan should be open after the previous fire.
Next, “Handle Cartridge.” The soldier draws a cartridge from the pouch worn either on the front of the belt or on the hip. They pull the paper off of the cartridge with their teeth and spit it out. When being commanded to “Prime,” pull the hammer to half cock and pour a small amount of the powder from the cartridge into the priming pan. Close the frizzen so that the powder is trapped.
When commanded to “About,” lower the butt of the musket so the barrel is easily accessible. Pour the rest of the cartridge down the barrel and flipped so the ball is facing up. This is then also put in the barrel. The remaining paper is put in the barrel to act as a plug to prevent the ball and powder falling out if the barrel is lowered. When commanded “Draw Ramrods,” pull the ramrod from the compartment below the barrel, flip it so that the large end was facing down, and inserted about an inch down the barrel.
Next, “Ram Down Cartridge.”upon this command, soldiers are to ram down the wadding, bullet and powder.Then flip the rod and return it about half way in the holder. The next command is “Return Rammers.” Soldier must quickly return the rammer the rest of the way. You then hold out your right arm parallel to the ground, with the right fingertips touching the bayonet lug.
When commanded to “Make Ready,”bring the musket straight up and down, perpendicular to the ground. Have the lock facing the soldiers face and pulled back to full cock. The next command is to “Present,”or raise the butt to your shoulder and the barrel to shooting level. Sight in by aiming down the barrel.
The final order given is “Fire.” pull the trigger and the musket, if correctly loaded, would fire. After a full second, lower the musket back to loading position. Soldiers drill this into their heads so much that only the command given was “prime and load” Properly trained soldiers were able to do this 4 times in less than a minute.
