Fascinating indeed. I marvel that these things were made before the advent of precision measuring instruments such as dial calipers (1876 as I recall, in France). They are, nonetheless remarkably precise and consistent in geometry. The Reinhard Picket rifle was built in 1876. Groove dimensions are consistent to .001" as to depth and width variation cannot be identified.

The barrel in the Perry rifle has 18 grooves that are gently radiused, giving the appearance of waves when looking down the wrong end. Oh, they are also something akin to microgrooves, depth in the range of less than .003" as I recall. Most if not all used paper strip patches in the day and that in itself is another book or two of debate, dogma and ultimately success for most. Sperm oil is/was a popular lube.

[Linked Image]

You can see the relieved face of the false muzzle here in an X pattern. The strips are laid in the recesses, bullet pressed in slightly and then a bullet starter nests on the round form of the FM. Whack with the palm, it all goes down the pipe and time for the ramrod. False muzzles are properly constructed by cutting off a piece of the drilled barrel, reattaching with pins and then rifling the entire assembly as a unit. Following that, a very light taper (front to rear) is honed in the FM to aid in bullet seating.

BOOM!

I am..........disturbed.

Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain