JC, - I just tried it again - got a dialog box asking if I want to open or save the file. I've always clicked "Open", and about 5 to 10 seconds later there's an open pdf file to read. Apparently it was produced by an AWI reenactor group. It's 18 pages long, starts out:
"Introduction
How often do we see something like this on the field?
We are at the highlight of a Tactical Demonstration. A dozen or so soldiers make ready, present and fire a volley – of one or two muskets! It happens with embarrassing frequency, often just when the scenario requires a crashing volley.
Sure, misfires happened frequently on the 18th Century battlefield. But not in the massive proportions that we frequently experience. Contemporary commentators estimated that approximately 15% of the muskets in any given volley would misfire. All too often we only get about 15% of our muskets to fire.
This paper looks at a number of things that we can do to increase the reliability of our flintlock musket or rifle – in other words, what we can do to improve the odds that when we pull the trigger, it will go BANG! Instead of click.
.......
The discussion is organized into five parts:
Reliability in the Field, or things you can do on the field to improve reliability.
Preparations to Insure Reliability, or things you can do before you leave home to improve reliability.
Modifications to Enhance Reliability, which will discuss things that you can do to “tune” your firelock to improve its performance.
Maintenance in the Field, which will discuss field cleaning and simple maintenance that you can do in the field in an authentic manner.
Maintenance at Home, which will discuss cleaning and maintaining your firelock at home where you presumably have access to modern materials and tools. "
