Machine Guns in the War of 1812-- Part 7: Loading the Barrels

To load one of the swivels, one first had to position the muzzle up, presumably, in some sort of stand, and have ready the requisite number of rounds and a container of powder, as well as patches, a powder measure, a funnel, a rammer, and a bucket of water for safety.  (After all, it was gunpowder.)

First, a measured amount of powder was poured down a barrel, then one of the special tight-fitting rounds inserted, stem down, and carefully rammed into the powder so that the explosive filled the space between the end of the bore and the underside of the round proper.

Then another measure of powder was added and another round rammed home with the same care.  And so it went until the barrel was loaded (the final item being a sealing patch), and then the process was repeated for each of the remaining six barrels until all 217 rounds -- about 22 pounds of lead, in all -- had been loaded.  That would be 31 rounds per barrel.

This was a very time-consuming process to say the least.

--Brock-Perry