| 2/95th Australia re-enactor demonstrating sustained fire with the Baker rifle. Ball cartridge, patched with cloth, aimed shots - 13 rounds in five minutes. Two and a half rounds per minute is about the rate of a smoothbore. Rate of fire is not a reason to prefer smoothbore over rifles. The "soldier" firing is an experienced re-enactor but his skill level would be no more than would have been achieved by a British rifleman in his first year in the 95th Regiment. Of course in this trial, no-one was shooting back - the tactical equivalent would be area fire at a relatively distant cavalry or artillery unit. Cartidge used is .60 lead ball, patched in .016 cloth, glued to a paper tube containing 100 grains of powder. Beeswax and lard lubricant. Based on Macerone's 1832 recipe quoted in De Witt Bailey (the 95th would have used something like it in 1808-15). The loading style is significantly different to most on YouTube - most firing blanks which are much easier to load. |
