Ironsights...?

[Jimmy Carr]

Anyone here who has TRUELY fired a musket knows very well that they are easy to aim, and easy to keep on target.

Musket accuratecy Really has nothing to do with the Smooth bore of the gun it has everything to do with powder count. if you maintained a consistant powder charge, you can hit a target 50 yards away OVER AND OVER AND OVER

I am getting rather sick of people claiming that muskets are not accurate without ever shooting one for themselfs. or if they do shoot one themselfs, they allow THEIR flaws to model the experience.

Went to the range with my Company commander and he had an 3rd model brown bess. For my FIRST time EVER shooting one i landed 8 out of 10 shots on a target 50 yards away. BY AIMING DOWN THE SIGHTS. plus consistant powder amount.

Go ask Reenactors, go ask ANY soldier..... my orignal point "Only an idiot doesnt AIM his weapon"

ive fired one but dont base your fact on me im quite tiny :p

in addition the spread/accuracy of the musket was so **** all you had to do is aim at the general direction of the enemy and hope for a lucky shot.

 

[Ghost Dad]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Bess

The "New Light Infantry Land Pattern" fitted with a sight, to work with the bayonet lug. So wasn't just rifles, since nearly every dedicated british light division were issued with these muskets, and played a pivotal role in spain. 

The lug althou not proven to actually be a sight itself, may have been used to aim with, and would have indeed have helped to level your aim and increase focus when looking down your musket at a target. Troops who fought in light company in standard line regiment, were still chosen for being a good shot, also among other qualitlys like size and initiative.  I think the bayonet lug served a duo purpose, since it postioned in a fashion that help line infantry to aim, aswell as hold there bayonet on.

The New Land Pattern light infantry muskets do have sights, but they are the exception rather than the rule. They also have a pistol grip style trigger guard similar to the Baker rifle, which aids in steady aim. They were issued only to specialist light infantry, who were the only soldiers on the battlefield trained as marksmen, and thus the only soldiers on the battlefield who could make use of the sights. They were also only issued to light infantry from a select few regiments, the rest had to make do with the same weapons as the line companies.

The bayonet lug is not intended to be a sight, but it does work as a simple bead sight. However, this is only possible when the bayonet is unfixed: the socket completely obscures the bayonet lug. Again, this was not an issue for line infantry, as the only aiming they were expected to do was point their weapon in the direction of the enemy. Another reason line infantry were not concerned with aiming was the controlled firing: on the 'present' command, soldiers needed to point their weapons quickly, leaving little time for picking targets. Light infantry tactics introduced a stronger focus on the individual, allowing soldiers to aim and fire on their own time, hence the evolution you see with the New Land Pattern Light musket. The fact remains that the vast majority of light companies remained issued the same weapon as line infantry.

 

[Specialist]

People actually faced away when firing otherwise they would get the powder and sparks from the flashpan into their eyes.

Why not add them? Just something simple, almost like you say...

"You wanted ironsights? FINE, HERE THEY ARE! Side affects may include loss of vision for 10 seconds, lifelong blindness, and occasionally a better shot at killing your opponent. Use at risk"



By the way, I've fired a musket several times. It's accuracy was something to laugh over. I shot at a target 60 feet away and hit it once out of 10 shots. One of the shots did kill a cow though...

 

[T&B]

anotherpoint isthe fact that the firing orders, atleast in the french and british army,  were , Present, Fire. their was no "aim" . and the sights on the standard musket as said above dont have sights, only th new land pattern and the naval muskets, this is the one i use, have sights . and it is pretty much impossible to use an ironsight style aim on a real musket.

and if u do put ironsights in, those bandages on the models might have a use after all.

 

[shadowarcher]

Even if we don't include iron sights it would still be nice to replace the non existent zoom function with aiming down the barrel.

 

[SeanBeansShako]

Zoom is disabled for all but Officers who have Spyglasses.