Gunshot plaster (muzzle loader)
Shot plaster or spherical patches ( Engl. Wadding or patch ) for muzzle-loaders are small cotton cloth pieces when loading round balls are used in muzzle-loading weapons, a gas-tight as possible degree in runs to allow. First the powder is introduced into the barrel, then the gun plaster is placed on the muzzle and then this is stuffed into the barrel with the lead bullet. The gunshot plaster should be 1/100 to 1/20 of the caliber thick. Conclusions can be drawn about the quality of the weapon and the interaction of weapon, bullet , charge and gunshot plaster from the characteristics of the marks made by the trains on the gunshot plaster after the shot . Shot plasters made of leather or fabric were used from the 16th century . The associated weapons were called plaster boxes. In order to improve the seal, the gunshot plasters were often greased or moistened, which resulted in cleaning and a certain degree of corrosion protection for the barrel as a positive side effect . Sometimes a piece of cork was used as an alternative to gunshot plasters .
The use of gunshot plasters for muzzle-loaders was time consuming and cumbersome. While a gun could be fired an average of twice per minute with gunshot plasters, this was possible up to seven times per minute with the following needle guns .
Another well-known variant of the shooting plasters are stickers with which holes in shooting targets are covered.
literature
- Christopher Clark: Prussia: Rise and Fall - 1600–1947 , DVA, 2013, ISBN 978-3-641-12882-1 .
- Deanes: Manual of the History and Science of Firearms , Chapter "Of Gun Wadding," Longman, Brown, 1858
- Peter Hawker: Instructions to Young Sportsmen in All that Relates to Guns and Shooting , Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1830
Web links
- Beyond Civil Defense: Guns and Recreation , description and illustration of gunshot plasters and their use