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Seventeenth Century Living History Society

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Loading a Musket

In order to effectively load and fire a musket, musketeers were taught a series of 24 orders, to be carried out in sequence. An illustrated abridged version is provided below:

 

 

Handle your piece

Open your pan, clean your pan

 

 

Handle your primer and prime your piece

Close your pan, blow of loose powder and cast off loose powder

 

 

Cast about your piece

Handle your charge and charge your piece

 

 

Put down your bullet and wad

Withdraw your scouring stick, reverse and shorten your scouring stick

 

 

Ram home your charge with three goodly thrusts!

Withdraw your scouring stick, reverse and shorten your scouring stick, replace your scouring stick.

 

 

Handle your piece, cock and try your match

To your enemies fore present, open your pan

 

 

Give Fire!