The 16th -19th century era of warfare is the most interesting era there is, I think. It's assumed that you think this as well.

>>63829305 (OP)
that's not a correct depiction. bong muzzle loaders had bayonets that pointed off on an angle to the side so the soldiers wouldn't stab their own hands. they had to have techniques for how to hold the musket to bring the point online. when they switched to breech loaders like the martini henry they made the bayonet straight and inline with the barrel meaning the weird off to the side shape was intentional and based on musket loading

>>63829305 (OP)
one thing I don't get is why they never attached the bayonet heads to poles to make actual spears and pikes. I assume it's because they didn't want to drill on more than one weapon. but say you were defending a fort. you already cut down trees to make those wooden spikes anyway and you wouldn't be carrying the sticks, because forts don't move. seems like it would give you a weight and length advantage over the other guy

>>63829366
>>63829380

>>63829305 (OP)
>It's assumed that you think this as well.
I like all era’s of warfare and find each one equally interesting. But I do like the rapid progression of weaponry and doctrine during this time, gave us cool shit like firearm/melee weapon hybrids as a bridge between pikes and bayonets and other stuff like Congreve Rockets.

What was the best musket?

>>63829380
If you look at most fort inventories there was a decent amount of hand weapons, no need to use a complicated to manufacture and hand forged, even if semi industrialized, weapon that at it's core is kind of a compromise design when you already have plenty of dedicated pikes, spears, ect for hand to hand action and well seasoned staves and not quickly dried local green wood

>>63829305 (OP)
It's funny how they took so long to think of putting bullets into casings that contained gunpowder.

>>63830453
Not really viable before percussion caps.

>>63830443
The Brown Bess was essentially the AK of the musket world. Much easier to use, load and maintain than others.
I like the Charleville more though just because of the slightly better range and accuracy but mainly cause it uses a .69 ball which is very French.

>>63830457
In terms of design both are about on par in terms of complexity and repairability, if the lock ever gets damaged on either one you're fucked and at best are reduced to using a matchlock until you can get back to civilization. I would argue that all things being equal a percussion (provided a supply of caps) is actually better in terms of failure modes than a flintlock, you can still post up on a stand or stalk game quietly and with just your stink to worry about and smack the hammer with a stick while you are never going to reliably strike a spark with anything other than the mainspring unless you're putting retard strength behind the blow.

>>63830457
Brown besses for everyone!

>>63830460
The Charleville is more prone to fouling and built to tighter tolerances than the Brown Bess. The Bess also has a much sturdier stock and is overall less likely to break if you say use it to club someone over the head with one. Basically Bess is more durable and likely to survive a good few knocks and being dropped meanwhile the Charleville is made mainly for shooting, not so much for being roughed around.

>>63830453
Assuming you mean metallic cartridges, the concept had been around since the middle ages; it just wasn't really viable enough without later industrialization (and percussion caps as already mentioned). When guns and cartridges would still have to be individually handmade, it would be far, far harder to mass-produce them to such precise consistency that any cartridge will work with any gun out of an entire army.

>>63829596
Couldn't agree more
The mix of medieval armor and firearms during the 16th and 17th centuries, the scale and extravagant style of 18th century and Napoleonic warfare, the unending stream of technological innovations of the later half of the XIXth century and all the new and sometimes wacky tactics created and implemented during those eras gave us some of the most kino moments and some of the greatest aesthetics in the History of Human warfare

>>63830478
I've yet to read many accounts of either being much more durable than the other and both served across a lot of environments without much comment other than normal infantry grumbling.

>>63830508
It should probably go without saying, but a breech-loading gun is also going to be far more mechanically complex too, which would make it even less feasible (also less safe because you're not necessarily going to get a perfect gas seal, which was actually a significant issue with the ones like in that photo, even when their "cartridges" were just reusable steel cups tailored to fit a single specific gun)

>>63830451
cool, source?
>>63830453
they couldn't do it earlier because they didn't have primers or the manufacturing ability to make the stuff

>>63829305 (OP)
s

>>63829571
Who is that?

>>63829305 (OP)
based and black powder pilled

>>63829305 (OP)
>The 16th -19th century era of warfare is the most interesting era there is
I can't believe OP managed to have kino taste.
It is most certainly one of the, if not the most, underrated era.

>>63829366
>french musketeer
>bong muzzle loaders
Huh?

>>63840187
>the french just stabbed themselves in the hands, unlike the bongs

Wonder what autism was going through the head of the Dane that came up with a flintlock capable of at least 30 rounds per minute?

>>63836271
Bob.

>>63840290
"Swedes could be here" he thought. The cool wind felt good against his bare chest.

Is there still a cap shortage?

>>63840290
How do you manufacture that in scale?

>>63844435
There was about 20 different gunmakers all making their own version of it.
So in short they couldn't outside of giving it to various autists to make.

>>63829305 (OP)
Why the large time span? Warfare was extremely different in the 16th century than in the 19th century.
Personally I'm interested in the 16th and 17th centuries as here late medieval became mixed with early modern combat. Cuirassiers, Landsknechte, Reißläufer, Tercios, etc. are just a supreme aesthetic imo.
>>63830453
There were many early designs with metallic cartridges. It was just so that they weren't suitable for mass production and deployment.
My favorite one has to be this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beOgmCxeh7A
>>63831460
>cool, source?
NtA
Here are a few photo impressions from the Styrian Armoury of Graz, which is an armory museum that features an entire floor dedicated to polearms and other cold weapons alone.
https://www.vikingsofbjornstad.com/GrazArmory.shtm

>>63844435
they didn't

Master of the Gunners with his lifeguards

Bohemian captain with his guards - which are armed with awl pikes.