Notes on Period Firearms

Introduction

The 1840s were a transitional period in the world of firearms. The percussion cap had been perfected in the early years of the century, and the “cap and ball” system was slowly replacing the trusty flintlock. In 1835, Samuel Colt patented the world’s first practical revolver, and each year saw improvements as he refined his work—and saw competitors introduce comparable models. It was also a time marked by numerous transitional developments, such as the “needle guns” that heralded bolt-action rifles, or the short-lived pepperbox pistol. This section offers a brief history of 1840s firearms, and provides detailed explanations on the innovations that made it such an exciting period.

Part 1: Flintlocks
For the first few decades of the nineteenth century, professional armies fought with the same smooth-bore flintlock muskets as their fathers and grandfathers. It generally takes an experienced soldier between twenty and thirty seconds to properly load a flintlock musket. First, the user has to unseal a pre-measured cartridge of gunpowder, which is usually contained in a paper or linen packet which is bitten open. (Because of the salty nature of gunpowder, this builds up a terrible thirst over the course of a battle, making potable water an essential part of any armed conflict.) Once the gunpowder is poured into the muzzle, the shooter inserts the lead ball, which is encased in a lubricated bit of cloth called “wadding.” Pulling the ramrod from its forestock slot, the shooter tamps the ball home, ensuring firm contact with the propellant charge. The ramrod is then returned to the forestock—unless a panicked soldier leaves it inside the barrel, to be fired along with the bullet!

To fire the musket, the hammer is pulled to half-cock. A small pinch of gunpowder is placed in the “priming pan” located on the right side of the musket. The pan is closed to secure the primer, which brings a metal flange called the “frizzen” into striking position in front of the hammer. The hammer is fully cocked, the musket is aimed, and the trigger is pulled. The hammer dashes the flint against the frizzen, simultaneously creating a spark and pushing open the pan to expose the primer. The priming powder ignites, sending its charge through a flash hole into the chamber to explode the main charge of gunpowder. The lead ball is propelled from the barrel in a cloud of gunsmoke and burning wadding into the heart of the unlucky redcoat, voltigeur, Mysorean rocketeer, Fenian rebel, Mohawk warrior, etc. Because smoothbore muskets have limited effective ranges, the general tactic is to fire a few volleys, fix the bayonet, and rush in for close-quarters combat.

Carbines & Musketoons
Most infantry muskets have long barrels, but short-barreled versions are made for situations where the weight or size of the firearm is a consideration—generally when mounted on horseback or during close-quarters naval combat. These shorter muskets are generally called “carbines” or “musketoons.” In general, a carbine has the same caliber as the longer version of the firearm; while a musketoon has a wider barrel to accommodate a higher caliber. Some musketoons are loaded with “buck and ball” shot, which packs a few shotgun pellets ahead of the ball to increase hit rate (and adds +1D6 damage). Some musketoons have flared muzzles and are meant to be loaded with several balls; this resemblance to a blunderbuss (see the “White Leviathan Armory”) has led to some confusion between the two. Because shorter barrels trade accuracy for maneuverability, carbines and musketoons deduct 20% from the Base Range of the standard longarm.

Part 2: Rifling
One of the most important innovations in mid-century musketry was rifling. A “rifled musket” has spiral grooves engraved inside its barrel. These grooves impart angular momentum onto the projectile as it leaves the muzzle, acting to stabilize the bullet and increasing its velocity, range, and accuracy. Although effective rifles were developed during Napoleonic times, they were notoriously difficult to maintain. Because of the “lands and grooves” of the rifling, the “windage”—the space between the projectile and the bore—had to be eliminated, so bullets were wrapped in greased patches of leather or linen before they were rammed home. This made rifles harder to load and clean, so they were placed in the hands of specially-trained squads, such as Daniel Morgan’s Riflemen, Jefferson Davis’ Mississippi Rifles, or the British “Greenjackets” of Richard Sharpe fame. However, it was not until the invention of the Minié ball in 1849 that rifles became commonplace, so they are relatively rare in White Leviathan.

Part 3: Caplocks
In 1807, Reverend Alexander Forsyth of England patented a new system of firing that would soon replace flintlocks—the percussion cap. Basically, the “caplock” system trades the flint, frizzen, and pan for a specially-shaped hammer, a percussion cap, and a nipple (also called a “cone”). Containing a small amount of mercuric fulminate, a thin brass “cap” is inserted over small metal nipple, located where the frizzen used to be. (Sensitive to sudden blows, these explosive caps are very similar to the “caps” used in a toy cap-gun. They’re often stored in a compartment in the butt of the weapon.) When the trigger is depressed, the hammer strikes the cap, which explodes, sending its flash down the nipple to ignite the gunpowder in the barrel.

The advantages of the system are numerous. Not only can the weapon be reloaded more quickly, but the self-contained percussion caps are more impervious to the elements than powder in a “sealed” pan. Additionally, the percussion mechanism can be easily swapped with the flintlock mechanism, making old flintlock weapons convertible to the new system.

Part 4: Pistols
Designed to be fired with one hand, muzzle-loading pistols are found in a wide variety of styles across the centuries, from ornate dueling pistols hand-crafted by Flemish masters to military pistols assembled in bulk at Federal armories.

Size Matters
Whether flintlock or caplock, black powder pistols are usually characterized by their size. The smallest are “muff” pistols. Sometimes equipped with detachable barrels, muff pistols were intended to be carried by ladies, tucked away in their muffs, stockings, or corsets. (Although Henry Deringer was manufacturing small pistols in the 1840s, the generic term “derringer” wouldn’t catch on until the 1850s.)

Belgian .36 caliber “muff” pistol

Those with slightly longer barrels are known as “belt” pistols, followed by “coat” pistols, which are designed to be concealed in the carrier’s pockets. (Most modern handguns would be considered “coat” pistols.) Tracing their origins to the cavaliers of the seventeenth century, the largest pistols are known as “horse” pistols, which are carried in holsters attached to the front of a rider’s saddle. For this reason, horse pistols are also known as “holster” pistols. It was common for officers or cavaliers to be issued two matched pistols, known as a “brace” of pistols. The most common type of holster pistol is the “dragoon” pistol, issued to mounted soldiers but also favored by sailors and outlaws.

A common type of horse pistol is the “coach” pistol. Generally stored in a coachman’s box or stowed under the seat of a carriage, this gun is used in case of emergencies—highway robbery, for instance, or when one needs to put down a lame horse. Coach pistols eventually evolved into the famous stagecoach shotgun of the Wild West. The Victorian descendant of the coach pistol is the “buggy gun,” stowed beneath the seat of a buggy. Such guns were intended for spontaneous target practice or hunting small game during recreational outings.

This .32 caliber buggy gun sports a 12” barrel

Part 5: Revolvers
One of the most significant innovations in firearm design, a revolver features a cylindrical magazine that holds each round in an individual chamber. When the hammer is cocked, the cylinder rotates a chamber in alignment with the barrel; the trigger drops the hammer and discharges the round.

Pepperbox Guns
The general concept of a revolving magazine emerged from the “pepperbox” gun of the early-to-mid 1800s. A pepperbox gun features a cluster of smooth-bore barrels which are rotated into position one by one and fired individually by a pull of the trigger. The cones holding the percussion caps were originally placed on the outside of the barrel-cluster, but evolving design began partitioning or shielding them more carefully. Most pepperboxes are fired by a top-mounted “arm hammer” that discharges the topmost barrel; but for the few models which fired the bottom barrel, an “underhammer” is used. Interestingly, pepperbox guns are often “self-cocking,” an early form of double action that requires a single trigger pull to rotate the cluster, cock the hammer, and fire the weapon. Pepperbox guns began fading in popularity before the Civil War, mostly replaced by the more efficient revolver.

Nock pepperbox pistol

Samuel Colt
The first workable revolver was developed by the Boston inventor Hayden Collier in 1814, and was essentially a self-priming flintlock. It was somewhat unreliable, but saw limited adoption in England and some use in India. Having been exposed to the Collier revolver during his voyage to England, Samuel Colt made a few innovations and introduced the first cap and ball revolver in 1836. Setting up shop in Paterson, New Jersey, Colt produced almost two dozen “Paterson Colts” in three main types: the 0.28 caliber “Pocket” model, the 0.31 caliber “Belt” model, and the 0.36 caliber “Holster” model; all five-shot revolvers with various barrel lengths. Unfortunately, Colt went out of business a few years later—until the success of the Texas Rangers, who used his 0.36 revolvers successfully against the Comanches in 1844. Impressed with the weapon, a Ranger named Samuel Walker spread word of their effectiveness, and during the war with Mexico, Captain Walker helped Colt get back in business with a better revolver—the infamous 1847 “Dragoon” 0.45 caliber. During the time of White Leviathan, Colt revolvers are rare, and primarily used in Texas. If one comes into play, it’s likely to be the Paterson Colt “No. 5 holster pistol” with a nine-inch barrel.

Sources & Notes

Books
To create this resource, I leaned heavily on Norm Flayderman’s Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms. Featuring photographs and detailed descriptions of thousands of antique firearms, this is an essential resource for any historical gaming campaign, and Flayderman’s Guide introduced me to several of the more bizarre weapons described in the White Leviathan Armory. To flesh out some of the statistical details, I turned to John Walter’s Rifles of the World. I also recommend Dennis Adler’s Guns of the American West and David Miller’s Illustrated Book of Guns. Both feature historical notes and full-color illustrations of vintage firearms, many of which are museum pieces photographed especially for these books.

Internet
Of course, the Internet was crucial for my research. The Web is filled with antique firearm collectors, and much of the information in the Armory was gathered from gun-ownership forums, antique auction sites, and the homepages of Revolutionary War and Civil War reenactors. Anyone interested in the historical firearms described in the Armory can find a wealth of additional information online, including videos of many of these guns being loaded and fired—sometimes by authentically-costumed reenactors! But without a doubt, the most useful resource on obscure firearms is Ian McCollum’s Forgotten Weapons. Perpetually cheerful and possessing a dry sense of humor, McCollum works in conjunction with auction houses to produce short videos spotlighting authentic antique firearms. McCollum explains their history, carefully reveals their inner workings, and sometimes takes them to the firing range. I also relied on Wikipedia, Antique Arms, and the Firearms History, Technology & Development blog.

Image Credits
Many of the photographs of firearms used in the Armory have been “borrowed” from online sources. Because most owners of vintage firearms are good-natured folk with a passion for promoting their hobby, I have no doubt they’ll be happy to see their photographs used to promote a wider understanding of antique weaponry. Having said that, if anyone is offended that I’m using an image without proper authorization, please contact me and I’ll remove it immediately. Many photographs depict modern reproductions, usually manufactured by Uberti, Pietta, Pedersoli, Cimarron, Taylor’s, or Dixie Gun Works. I favor these photographs because they make the gun look contemporary, something a player character might purchase in a gun store or pry from the cold, dead fingers of his enemy. When I could not find a shiny new replica, I usually turned to vintage gun auctions. The four best resources for detailed images of antique firearms are the Rock Island Auction Company, James D. Julia Auctioneers, College Hill Arsenal, and the Collectors Archives from Collectors Firearms, Inc. Thank you!

Personal Note
I am myself a black powder enthusiast, and own several flintlock rifles and black powder revolvers. This means some of the notes on firing these weapons comes from personal experience; and let me tell you, I have no idea how a skilled Redcoat was able to get off 2-3 volleys per minute! I for one would prefer a Henry repeater any day of the week; but that’s a different game!

White Leviathan > Auxiliary Materials > Firearms
[Rule Modifications | Notes on Period Firearms | White Leviathan Armory]
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Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 13 August 2023
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
White Leviathan PDF: [TBD]