Description
Book SynopsisA variety of factors surround military firearms they needed to be produced in large numbers to astandardised pattern at an affordable price. This bookexamines the transition from traditional hand-craftmethods to the beginnings of mechanised manufactureusing as examples the French Model 1777 and theRussian Model 1808 infantry muskets. A number of factors led to this choice. The FrenchModel 1777 musket, designed by Honoré Blancworking under General Gribeauval, contained manynovel features which became blueprints for thearms of numerous countries and was copied in itsentirety by Russia. Another factor is that they arethe only firearms whose manufacture is covered incontemporary accounts. A third factor is that theyprovide contrasts in their methods of manufacture;the French 1777 musket was largely produced byhand-craft methods, whereas in Russia we see thebeginnings of extensive mechanisation in the early19th century. Another important aspect which appears isinterchangeability' the a
