(TFT) Firearms and Gun Talent

["grabowski" <grabowski@erols.com>]

After reading John Paul's dissertation on Siege Weapons, which is very good,
I would like to throw in my two silver pieces.

Steve Jackson blew it when it came to reloading time for gunpowder weapons.
A blunderbuss takes 12 turns to load????  Oh! come on, I have fired almost
every type of blackpowder firearm there is and it does not take no minute
(12 turns) to reload this forerunner of the shotgun.  It takes no more than
15 seconds (3 turns) to load aim and fire this weapon unless it is a
matchlock (which it more than likely it is in TFT; although I believe the
first blunderbuss' were flintlocks) where it might take at the most 30
seconds (6 turns) but I doubt even this amount of time to load and fire.

As far as the arquebus goes, SJ was wrong there as well.  An arquebus is a
matchlock weapon and there is really nothing clumsy about it as SJ states,
unless it is a really heavy one, but even then it could be aimed without the
benefit of the stand.  In training for our educational instructors at the
museum I worked at the military specialist at Jamestown Settlement and
myself, the military specialist at the Yorktown Victory Center demonstrated
for them the rapidity of fire for both a matchlock and a flintlock.

 I loaded, aimed, and fired the flintlock in 16 seconds.  This is pretty
good considering the typical British soldier in training was taught to fire
this type of weapon four times a minute (which I have done).  In battle,
they more than likely got off 3 rounds a minute.
The Jamestown specialist with the arquebus fired one shot in about 36
seconds; although I know he can do it in 30 seconds easily.  The reason for
the matchlock slowness is related to safety (burning match ya know) and
having to attach the match to the serpentine on the lock.  So if you follow
realistic expectations of this type of firearm in TFT, the arquebus could be
loaded, aimed and fired in six turns.

As far as the cost of the GUN Talent, it should be lowered to one point cost
and not two.  Read Seth Kimmel's response to my question about why armies
went to firearms rather than sticking to bows.

Yours in Cidri,
Justin

P.S.  Seth, about finding a job in America using your history degree.
"Those who can teach!"  The U.S. lacks teachers.  Something to do with the
pay I think and citizens not wanting to pay higher taxes to afford more
teachers for smaller classroom sizes.  Good Luck!

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