Sometimes it's just too easy.

And you guys provide the content! All I have to do, in this case, is provide a picture. Not that I'm complaining...!

In the comments to the "Speaking of Bullets" post, AW1 Tim provided a discussion about musketry, and the "mythical three rounds per minute" claim for the standard Civil War infantryman firing the standard Civil War rifled musket. He mentions a special bullet - the Williams "cleaner" bullet. Not so-named because the bullet was cleaner - but because of the bullet's function. While doing the pictures for that post... well, I ran across these. I'll let AW1 Tim take up the tale.

Well, the problem with the 2-3 rounds per minute is that it never did happen. The "3 rounds per minute" that historians keep talking about is a myth. It is based upon the bench trials conducted for the M1855-series musket under ideal conditions and with properly sized and prepared cartridges.

There is also a world of difference between a smoothbore and a rifle regarding fouling issues. It's true that a soldier could, in all likelihood, get off 10 rounds or so at 2 rounds per minute when well trained. However, the fouling built up so fast that after the initial bundle of 10 rounds, loading became progressively more difficult. At Glendale and Gaines Mill, for example, there are numerous accounts of soldiers being unable to use their rifle muskets because of fouling issues, of men loading a round by pounding the rammer against a stone or tree, and letting fly with both cartridge and rammer.

The US Army's solution was to adopt the William's Patent cleaner bullet. For those unfamiliar with it, it was a standard minie round with a zinc washer at the base through which passed a metal slightly cone-shaped rod. When fired, the rod was driven into the washer's center, which expanded the washer and scraped the barrel clean of fouling. It also kicked like a mule. One or sometimes two of these rounds were included in every packet of 10 paper cartridges. The Army's mistake was to wrap them in blue or green paper, rather than the ordinary colour paper and the men could easily distinguish them and toss them away.

Some things never change :^ )

Anyway, over the course of an engagement, although initial rate of fire may be higher, the average is 1 round per minute, or even less, dependant upon the conditions and the ability of the men to clear fouling.