n7axw wrote:Hi JRM,
Right now here are a list of advantages as I see them...both ways.
For the St Klyman:
Simplicity of design. This is something that the church can make with their relatively crude manufacturing ability. It also has fewer parts for a soldier to break. I think this is what Merlin is talking about when he calls the St Klyman a superior design.
It can be designed for use with priming caps which the church has now approved. Uses cartridges rather than inserting bullet and powder separately.
Field conversion kits can be sent out to convert muzzle loaders.
Don
Hi Don
RFC was very specific on the improvements that he made to the Ferguson design, and there is no change that will alter the fact that the path that a cartridge must travel to be loaded has a 90 degree turn. There is also a structural limitation on the outer diameter of the breach plug that means unless the cartridge is very short it can't be shoehorned around that turn. Of course it is possible, I missed where RFC altered the center line of the breach plug from perpendicular to the bore to vertical to the bore with the top opening further back than the bottom opening.
The key words in the following quotes are "almost as easy to load..." and "at least as effective..."
Like a Mighty Army (Safehold) (pp. 237-238)He scowled at the neat technical drawing Owl had provided. It really was an ingenious design, he thought— one that virtually duplicated what had once been called a “Ferguson Rifle” back on Old Earth. Actually, Zhwaigair’s design, especially as modified by Fultyn, was superior to Ferguson’s in some ways. It was heavier and longer, but it also avoided the weakness in the wrist of the stock which had been part of Ferguson’s original design and the longer barrel and conical bullet would improve its ballistics. The breech screw was a multi -start thread design, like Ferguson’s, but with ten threads per inch instead of Ferguson’s twelve, and Fultyn’s decision to make it from brass instead of iron or steel would make good use of the bronze smelting capacity which would be useless for the production of rifled artillery.
Like a Mighty Army (Safehold) (pp. 238-239)If he had to be this inventive, why couldn’t he at least have gone with a single-start screw? Nahrmahn groused . Surely he could’ve justified it on the basis that it would be simpler and cheaper to manufacture! And it would also have required ten complete revolutions to disengage a plug with uninterrupted threads. The multi-start screw required only a single partial turn of the trigger guard to which it was attached, which would speed the rate of fire considerably. And the breaks in the threads would actually help clear them of fouling; the built-up powder would be scraped off and fall through the openings each time the plug was locked up to fire. Without that, the fouling from the black powder would quickly “varnish” the screw to an extent which would make it difficult or even impossible to operate without a thorough cleaning. It remained to be seen how well the weapon would work in action, but according to Owl’s research, the original Ferguson had been capable of six to ten aimed shots per minute … with a flintlock .
If Clyntahn was willing to allow the Army of God to use primer caps, it ought to be able to reach the higher end of that rate of fire. And, of course, since the innovative bastard had specified a top-opening breech, it would be almost as easy to load from a prone position as a Mahndrayn.
Like a Mighty Army (Safehold) (p. 239)It’s not really funny , I guess, but it’s comforting to know even Merlin can make mistakes. He and Ehdwyrd were so pleased when Mahndrayn came up with a design that would be just outside the Mainland’s capabilities. One it would take them at least a year and a half to put into production because first they’d have to develop the machine tools and processes. Now the clever little protégé he wouldn’t let me assassinate’s come up with a design that’s at least as effective and they can start producing the damned thing inside a month!
James
