re: #286 William Barnett-Lewis

Actually, that’s not especially true. While formal military tactics were based on the line and the square, that had less to do with flintlocks and more to do with their single shot nature. As a result, the real battle was fought at close distance with bayonnete. That was also when the militia usually turned and ran because they did not have the discipline of Regulars to stand there and disembowel one another. In America, jaeger armed riflemen were common and rarely fired their expensive rifles from the line.

I’m sorry, I don’t see how that’s disagreeing with what I said.

And while the flintlock could misfire, the most common kind was the “flash in the pan.” A weapon that had any percentage chance of exploding would not have supplanted sword and pike.

They did have a percentage of exploding, though. If the barrel wasn’t properly maintained, if rust had made the barrel sag at all, a blocked shot could cause a backfire. In addition, accidental discharge was even easier and more dangerous, as Henry Knox said.