Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 536 Sharpshooter

Listening to Lu Jin and Tao Guangyi's discussion about the new military uniform, Li Dingbang glanced at his own clothes and felt extremely awkward, especially the crotch, shoulders, collar, and cuffs of the trousers. They were much tighter than the loose-sleeved clothes he used to wear. People who are used to wearing loose clothes will definitely not adapt to 'fitted formal wear' so quickly.

He asked curiously, "Your Majesty, why are the changes to the new military uniforms so significant?"

Lu Jin said, "This is all to adapt to the needs of war and production in the new era. Traditional wide robes and sleeves are not conducive to production and are even less conducive to combat. Cross-collar clothing not only wastes a piece of fabric on the front compared to front-opening clothing, but more importantly, it is not easy to add pockets."

"For people like soldiers, students, and workers, it's not easy to carry small tools. For example, this new type of musket has changed the firing method from flint to percussion cap. A percussion cap is not even as big as a soybean. How can you carry a percussion cap in a way that is easy to take and not easy to drop or lose on the battlefield? If it weren't for these four pockets in front of you, wouldn't we have to give each soldier a separate leather bag?"
"Other items include paper and pens, pocket watches, and other small trinkets. Without these pockets, you would have to hang them all on your waist. If you were to add pockets directly to the cross-collar garment, wouldn't you have to put them on your stomach? No matter how you arrange them, you can't achieve symmetry on both sides. In addition, due to the direction of force on the cross-collar diagonal placket, if you really added pockets, you couldn't put much in them. Just putting a few things in them would cause the collar to droop down."

"Therefore, let's just use the double-breasted style, since double-breasted clothing already existed in the Song Dynasty."

"I see." Li Dingbang suddenly understood, and then stopped dwelling on the matter, asking instead, "Your Majesty, what will this experiment involve?"

"Let Minister Tao explain to you how to use the new gun first."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Tao Guangyi immediately began explaining the structure of the new gun to the group, the differences between it and the old flintlock gun, as well as its usage, precautions, and so on.

Since Li Dingbang and his companions had previously learned how to use flintlock muskets, learning the new gun didn't take them much effort. They quickly grasped the firing principle of the new gun and understood its significant advantages over the flintlock musket.

"I see, I understand now. To make bullets as accurate as arrows, you need to add arrow-like tail feathers to the bullets so that the bullets can fly stably after leaving the barrel. But bullets can't have tail feathers, so we have these spiral rifling, which allows the bullet to embed itself in the grooves of the rifling and fly out of the muzzle with the rifling, thereby increasing the stability of the external trajectory. This method is simply brilliant!" Li Dingbang exclaimed in amazement.

Tao Guangyi nodded and said, "That's right. Moreover, the advantages are not just the increased accuracy. There is also the reduction in caliber, which reduces the weight of the projectile. As a result, with the same amount of ammunition as before, soldiers can carry more ammunition, increasing their combat endurance."

"At the same time, the helical rifling and the 'pointed plunger bullet' (Miné bullet) work together to enhance the airtightness of the gun. When using the same proportion of gunpowder as before, the bullet can go farther and have greater power, and the recoil is much less than before. Don't forget that the caliber of the flintlock gun used to be 16 mm."

"Another point is the improvement in accuracy. In the past, we used 16mm large-caliber shotguns that could be loaded with four bullets at a time because smoothbore guns were not accurate enough at long distances. In order to improve the hit rate, we had to use shotguns. At the same time, in order to ensure the power, we had to use such a large caliber."

"The idea back then was to fire four bullets at once, and with the soldiers standing close together firing in volleys, you could hit one even if you were just guessing. Now that the accuracy has improved, we don't need to do that anymore, which saves the court a lot of ammunition resources."

"I see. It seems I didn't understand enough. Converting a smoothbore to a rifled one is far more complex than just improving accuracy." Li Dingbang immediately frowned and nodded.

Lu Jin then tested him, "So tell me, after the accuracy is improved, what changes will there be in the use of muskets in tactics?"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingbang immediately began to ponder. Since it was a question raised by His Majesty, there must be a reason behind it. He thought for a long time, and Lu Jin did not urge him. After a while, he finally spoke.

"Your Majesty, I believe that once the rifled gun is deployed to the entire army, the previous tactics will inevitably have to be changed. Just as Minister Tao just said, in the past, we had everyone stand in a dense row to fire shot to improve the hit rate. Even if we were just guessing, we could still hit one. But now that the accuracy of the musket itself has improved, there is no need to stand in a rigid row anymore."

"Although the previous volley fire tactics were effective, they were not flexible enough and were easily targeted by the enemy's crossbowmen, causing heavy casualties to our musketeers. We could only rely on the long-range suppression of artillery to take down the enemy's crossbowmen first. However, the battlefield situation changes rapidly. If the artillery could not provide support in time, the loss of musketeers would be unavoidable."

"After being equipped with rifled muskets, musketeers could disperse and fire freely at the enemy, making it difficult for the enemy's archers to concentrate their fire. Even if there were still casualties, they would be much less than before."

"More importantly, the range. In the past, in order to improve the accuracy of muskets, the battle line had to endure enemy attacks and move very close, twenty or even a dozen paces, before they could concentrate their fire. Although this improved the accuracy, it made the musketeers themselves more dangerous."

"Many soldiers were worried about being hit by enemy arrows, so they rushed to fire a shot and then immediately rushed forward, or moved to the back to reload. They didn't have time to aim carefully, which made the hit rate even lower."

"With rifled muskets, soldiers can stand outside the range of enemy arrows and calmly fire. This way, the soldiers are far away and no longer afraid of enemy arrows, which makes them feel more at ease. Once they are calm, they can aim more calmly before firing, which can indirectly improve their hit rate."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin immediately nodded. "You're right. That's indeed the right approach, shifting from line formations to skirmishing. But line formations have their advantages and disadvantages, and skirmishers also have their strengths and weaknesses. We can't just praise one and criticize the other. So even if we have to change tactics, we can't eliminate line formations all at once. Think about it again, why do we do that?"

After listening, Li Dingbang began to think again, while Tao Guangyi, who was standing next to him, chimed in.

"Speaking of the soldiers' mentality and their ability to aim calmly, this new type of musket actually has another advantage."

"In the past, flintlock guns used flint to strike the fuse, and there was a powder bath outside. When firing, the powder bath would inevitably spew fire and smoke. Since people are naturally afraid of fire, and the firing mechanism was so close to the face and eyes, the shooter would instinctively dodge backward when firing, for fear that the gunpowder would burn his face or eyes, making it even more difficult to aim carefully."

"Even if there are naturally brave people who don't back away when firing, the smoke and flames from the gunpowder pool are an objective phenomenon, and these smoke and flames will inevitably interfere with the shooter's aim."

"The new muskets are different. After the flintlock firing mechanism was changed to a percussion cap firing mechanism, the firing mechanism no longer emits any open flames. The smoke is also much less than before, almost smokeless, and the sealing is stronger. As a result, without the interference of smoke and fire, the soldiers can aim more easily, and the hit rate can be improved accordingly."

"I see. I thought the fire cap was just for protection from wind and rain and to increase the ignition rate. I didn't expect it to have such benefits. But thinking about it carefully, it really is true!" Li Dingbang suddenly realized.

"It's nothing really. After Major Li has tried it a few times, he'll naturally discover its wonders. It's getting late, let's start the experiment."

"Well then, Your Majesty, shall we begin firing now?" Li Dingbang immediately asked Lu Jin beside him for instructions.

“Okay.” Lu Jin nodded and said, “First, we will conduct accuracy tests at different distances and with different shooting positions. Let’s fire for a while. After you have become more familiar with the new gun, we will conduct rate of fire tests, and finally, we will conduct power and armor penetration tests.”

"Yes, sir!" Li Dingbang raised his hand in salute, then called to the other soldiers, and together they came to the firing line at the shooting range. Under Tao Guangyi's guidance, they began to familiarize themselves with the shooting techniques of the new gun.

Lu Jin then beckoned to his son, who was squatting to the side scrambling for snails, picked him up, and told him to cover his ears. Immediately afterward, the sound of gunfire came from Li Dingbang's direction.

The first round involved standing and firing at a human-shaped half-body target at 30 meters. This posed little challenge for the shooters and the musket, and all of them easily hit the target. The second round was at 50 meters, and all of them hit the target again. Even at 100 meters, although the scores varied, all shots still hit the target. Only then did they truly appreciate the accuracy of this new gun. With the old smoothbore flintlock muskets, even with careful aiming, the hit rate at 100 meters wasn't very high; volley fire was necessary to improve accuracy. But this new gun, firing only one bullet at a time, could hit the target every time at 100 meters, which clearly demonstrated its precision.

Of course, this is also because those who participated in the experiment were all 'veterans' who had practiced musket shooting. If it were a complete novice, it is unknown whether they could even hit the target.

The group then continued shooting at targets at distances of 130 meters, 150 meters, 180 meters, and 200 meters. The hit rate immediately dropped. Beyond 150 meters, the hit rate from standing positions was relatively low. However, when the group switched to kneeling and prone positions, the hit rate at long distances improved again because the shooting posture was more stable.

Kneeling shooting at 200 meters almost always hits the target, while standing shooting at 100 meters easily hits the target. Experienced veterans can guarantee a 150-meter standing hit rate.

However, just as the first round of accuracy testing was about to end, one of the guards participating in the experiment requested that the range be increased further.

This man is named Xu Lu. He is a son of the Chaohu Navy and has just turned 17 this year. He joined his brother in the Chaohu Rebellion when he was 13 and has been following Lu Jin for several years.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin immediately asked, "What, even at over 200 meters, you're still confident you can hit the target?"

"Your Majesty, I find this gun useful. Two hundred meters is still a long way off. I feel it's easy to shoot two hundred meters, and it should be able to shoot even further."

"Then let's try it, add a target for him, up to 350 meters."

"Yes!"

Soldiers immediately set up new targets, but Xu Lu was not bragging. The subsequent test shooting was practically a personal showcase for him. He fired three shots from a kneeling position at 220 meters, and all three hit the target!
At a distance of 250 meters, kneeling position shooting, two out of three shots hit the target. Xu Lu then asked to fire two more shots, both of which hit the target, making it four out of five!

At a distance of 280 meters, the first shot missed, then the player switched to a prone position and hit the target with the next two shots.

In a prone shooting position at a distance of 300 meters, the first two shots missed the target, but the third shot hit the target squarely in the chest. Xu Lu then asked to fire three more shots, and this time all three hit the target, making it four out of six shots. The crowd gasped in amazement!
If the last shot in the first round of the 300-meter dash could be a fluke, then hitting all three shots in the second round could not possibly be a fluke; he must have mastered some shooting technique.

Lu Jin immediately asked, "How did you manage to hit all three shots in the next round?"

Xu Lu immediately stood up and answered.

"Your Majesty, I just overheard Your Majesty's discussion with Minister Tao. They said that bullets are similar to arrows, not only in that they have fletching and spin, but also in that their descent should be similar. After a bullet has traveled a long distance, it will fall like an arrow."

"So when I fired my first shot, I aimed at the target's chest, but I missed. Instead, it kicked up a cloud of dust in front of the target's right side. This must have been because I aimed too low. So when I fired my second shot, I aimed at the target's head, but I hit the lower right edge of the target, which is roughly the area around a person's hip."

"Then I corrected myself again with my third shot, aiming at the top of the target. And since the bullets from the first two shots all landed to the right, I aimed my third shot at the top left of the target's head, and sure enough, it hit the bullseye right in the chest."

"After I found the trick, I aimed at the upper left of the target for the next three shots, and they all hit the target."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin took a deep breath and couldn't help but praise, "You are truly a shooting genius. You have actually mastered how to correct the trajectory without any instruction."

"Your understanding of the falling point is correct. As long as an object is still on Earth, it will naturally be affected by gravity. As for the bullet's point of impact being to the right, I have two guesses: either it's due to the rightward rotation of the rifling, or it's due to the wind. The farther the bullet travels in the air, the greater the influence of wind deflection."

"If you want to verify this, you can try other muskets and then check the wind direction. That should give you the answer."

Xu Lu suddenly seemed to understand something. "So it was just the wind blowing at an angle. That's quite possible."

Lu Jin then asked again, "Can you shoot any further?"

This time, Xu Lu immediately shook his head and explained, "Your Majesty, there is no point in shooting beyond 300 meters. I can already aim at the top of the target's head when I shoot at 300 meters. If the target is a real person, I would probably have to aim at the plume of the helmet on the top of the target's head in order to hit the chest."

"If you want to hit the target after 300 meters, you have to aim higher above the target's head. But then you have to completely block the target with the crosshair. Even if you hit it, it will definitely be a fluke because the muzzle is raised too high and you can't even see the target."

"Moreover, to hit a target that far away, you have to shoot from a prone position. Kneeling and standing positions are not stable enough when holding the gun, and you have to aim for a long time. On the battlefield, who stands there for such a long time without moving, waiting for me to lie there and slowly aim? Therefore, shooting at a target more than 300 meters away is meaningless in actual combat."

Lu Jin immediately nodded in approval, saying, "You're right. Knowing where the bottom line is and not acting blindly when you're not sure is also a strength. It seems I've discovered another promising talent."

Tao Guangyi then said, "If the goal is simply to increase shooting distance, I have another idea. Didn't Your Majesty mention a peep sight before? That should make aiming easier, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin immediately waved his hand, "It's pointless. The bullet's performance has reached its limit. If you don't modify the bullet, it's meaningless to modify the sights, because the bullet can only go this far. However, a precise range of 300 meters is more than enough."

"OK then."

The reason Lu Jin refused so readily was that he knew the upper limit of black powder rifles, which was about the limit. The Martini rifle used by the British Green Jackets in history had a range of about 300 meters.

Moreover, in actual combat, it is rare to shoot that far because the weight of the 'large caliber' lead bullets causes severe drop at long distances. When Martini shoots a target at 300 meters, aiming at the head, the bullet can hit the ankle. Lu Jin's new gun does not drop as much because it uses a smaller caliber than Martini and the bullet is thinner and longer, so the drop is not as severe, but it is still very exaggerated.

The upper limit of black powder rifled guns is limited. Unless a better-sealed metal cartridge is used or smokeless powder is switched, the range can be extended. However, Lu Jin, who witnessed World War I and World War II, knew very well that the actual distance between infantry fighting between the two armies was usually within 300 meters. They would not fire at each other at a very long distance, so there was no need to continue to work on the sights.

(End of this chapter)