Thread: Flint and Ball

I was more referring to the whitworth's integrated rifling that matches the projectile.

So for the belted ball, is it loaded bare? If so is it lubed? do the deep grooves get hard to load quickly? I imagine they're pretty good fouling traps?

After the belted ball the next big thing in mechanical rifling was the Whitworth hexagonal helical rifling.

The Whitworth is very cool.
I do have a Whitworth rifle, mould and was punched.
But haven't shot it much.

Just about to dust it off and get my head around it properly and see how it goes at 400m

Funny that I got a whotworth projjie and a belted ball, only need a rifle to shoot em
Wasn't into muzzleloaders . 2 hrs qith akaroa stuffed me
How many toys can u have - and use

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

I was more referring to the whitworth's integrated rifling that matches the projectile.

So for the belted ball, is it loaded bare? If so is it lubed? do the deep grooves get hard to load quickly? I imagine they're pretty good fouling traps?

It was loaded patched, the military stuff had it wrapped and sewn into a pouch with marks to show where the belt was. Big groove with rounded corners it didn't foul badly by accounts of the day.
The whitworths a whole world away in terms of precision machining . The oval bore rifling concept is an interesting mechanical "rifling" system one that showed much promise but never went anywhere really.

Then it was Alexander Henry Rifling which was a giant leap forward and lasted for several decades as the go to in BP cartridge rifles.

Then Metford rifling slowly took over from Alexander Henry rifling.
I don't yet have a vintage rifle with Metford rifling. Never found one with a good enough barrel and exposed hammer that was worth buying

funny I was dreaming of oval type rifling the other day....concept of squeazing a .12ga barrel in vice move ,turn squeaze move turn squeaze etc etc etc oh so much to go wrong ....

Sorry I told a lie !

I do have a Metford rifled barrel on my Webley 500 3"