High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

You.can bet that vendors would label them as high-quality hand-selected pistol cartridges.

Well, unless it includes the bullet and primer, it won't actually function as one. However, pre-measured containers of powder are certainly a real thing for artillery and probably were for guns prior to pre-wrapped cartridges.

[Agemegos]

"Charges" might be the better word.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Anthony

It's probably more reliable to just have smokeless powder bushes (and primer bushes)

You don't want primer bushes growing near powder bushes, and primers tend to require mixtures of several compounds that are chemically very different. Primer lichens seem like a good idea: you have two different sets of biochemistry to use. Fungi are also good at growing in specific shapes, which lets you make pre-filled primer casings. Requiring them to be dried after gathering will improve safety.

Originally Posted by Anthony

Also, potentially exploding bushes sound like an excellent terrain feature for a fight.

Powder bushes should not explode, until they've mutated a bit, but they'll burn really well.

Originally Posted by Anthony

Well, unless it includes the bullet and primer, it won't actually function as one. However, pre-measured containers of powder are certainly a real thing for artillery and probably were for guns prior to pre-wrapped cartridges.

They were.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Powder bushes should not explode, until they've mutated a bit, but they'll burn really well.

True, it's more "ignites fast enough to turn into a fireball" than a proper explosion, but it's still a perfectly fine hazard.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Powder bushes should not explode, until they've mutated a bit, but they'll burn really well.

Just at the moment we're having more trouble than we can handle with grass and eucalyptus trees.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Just at the moment we're having more trouble than we can handle with grass and eucalyptus trees.

Those sound familiar, but they won't be causing problems around here for a while (yes, California has Eucalyptus trees, because our own native fire hazards weren't good enough for someone...).

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Well, unless it includes the bullet and primer, it won't actually function as one. However, pre-measured containers of powder are certainly a real thing for artillery and probably were for guns prior to pre-wrapped cartridges.

Pre-measured charges for muzzle-loading small arms have been a thing for centuries. Early versions were small flasks of powder carried on bandoliers. Later versions were paper cartridges (the origin of the 'cartridge paper' used by artists today) that you tore open (usually with your teeth - having good teeth was a requirement for infantry in some armies), then emptied down the barrel, and the paper plus ball was then rammed in, with the paper acting as the wad.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Rupert

Pre-measured charges for muzzle-loading small arms have been a thing for centuries.

I pretty much assumed that, I just didn't remember off the top of my head or feel like doing the research at the time I was writing

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

Good point, but I don't think it'd be much more of a stretch for the targeting comp to update the calibration profile with each shot. You might need to inform it when you clean the barrel so that it can go back to an initial profile.

That would imply the fouling would have predictable effects, and I'm not sure that would be true. Too many factors (heat, relative humidity, length of time between shots, how the wadding, er, wadded...) interacting in ways difficult to measure without sensors throughout the weapon, and then it's no longer a locally produced low-tech muzzle-loader.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Rupert

Pre-measured charges for muzzle-loading small arms have been a thing for centuries. Early versions were small flasks of powder carried on bandoliers. Later versions were paper cartridges (the origin of the 'cartridge paper' used by artists today) that you tore open (usually with your teeth - having good teeth was a requirement for infantry in some armies), then emptied down the barrel, and the paper plus ball was then rammed in, with the paper acting as the wad.

I envision ontogenically engineered pseudo-plants that produce a papery PET capsule with a base, with pseudo food bodies in the base producing strands or thin rods of propellant inside the capsule. When it is ripe it can be harvested for processing, but you can divert the ripe capsules for use as charges. Just put the thing into a muzzle-loader with the capsule end towards the breech, the base acting as a wad, and ram down a Minié bullet in front of it. Half-cock, attach primer to lock, Robert is your mother's brother.

It would only look like loading a musket with a bird's-eye chilli.