Re: [GZG-L] Request for comments and information

In a message dated 7/20/99 2:34:10 PM EST, journeyman2000@juno.com
writes:

<< 
 Hi all.  I'm currently working on a Napoleonic Age of Sail variant on
FT.
  I'm trying to find out how fast gunners in that age could reload
cannon
 of all the various sizes, both long guns and carronades, as well as the
 reasonable ranges for these weapons.  I'm also interested on the
 reasonable speeds attainable by ships from sloop size all the way to
1st
 Rate Ships of the Line.
  >>

2-3 minutes for a long gun depending on how good the crew is. 1/2 to 2/3
of 
that for a columbiad or carronade. Guns with lighter shot marginally
quicker, 
large shot marginally slower. As the guns get fired more and more
foulding 
makes it harder to swab and ram the shots. Not properly swabbing the gun

could cause a burning ember to ignite the serge bag of powder and the
gun 
would go off whilee someone rammed shot or wad into the gun. Elevating 
required a chock to be hammered in or pulled out to change azimuth and
the 
gun had to be trained 9side to side) with big long gunspikes (crowbars)
It 
weighed a lot guns were about ten feet apart regardles of the size of
the gun 
to allow the crews to work. Bigger guns larger crews (it was heavier and

required huge amounts of GRUNT power to move it around,