Doin' Her Right
Let me ask you this question: Can you correctly demonstrate the position of "Support Arms"? Go ahead and close your eyes and picture it in your mind's eye. Sure you are thinking to yourself, it's the way we've been doing it in the umpty ninth so and so for years.
Now take a look at the correct way to do it and see if you still can claim correct form:
http://www.myrtle-avenue.com/supportarms/
The link above has irreproachable references and photographic images of the way Support Arms should be done, but for some reason is not done by most reenactors.
The big difference is the angle of the musket. Correctly performed, the musket is nearly vertical, and does not have the noticeable cant that you see at most reenactments.
The primary reason is that trying to keep the musket nearly vertical is very difficult and requires some practice to master. It is a less stable position and will definitely take some getting used to. I tried this before deployment and it does work, but you need to swueeze the musket more firmly between your arm and side.
Take a look at that great link above and see what I'm talkin' about.
Bob Firth
60 and a wakeup.
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support arms
Bob,
If you check out the authentic campaigner website there are many threads on the same argument and many pictures of whole units at support arms with the angle of the musketsomewhat at 20-30 degrees with the palm of the left hand somewhere around the middle of the sternum. The plates in Casey's, Gilliams, Hardee's all seem to "support" this.
"Never Apologize, It's a sign of weakness!
Cpt. Nathan Brittles
Pvt. Steve Henry
Co. A, 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry
"Bath City Greys
I'd have to agree
I read the article from the Authentic Campaigner site last year and was intrique. In the end I checked out my own source with photographes and the thesis tends to hold true that we as re-enactors are doing the position wrong. Probably from basic logic that the way we do it is more comfortable and stable. Unfortunately this appears to be one position that the old timers wouldn't adapt to the senisability. My guess is tradition held out.
We still do "Slope Arms" you seldom see this used but it is a very comfortable position to carry the firearm as ackward as it looks. It appears to be more stable than the old correct way of "Support Arms". This doesn't replace the purpose of Support Arms though.
I agree wholeheartingly with the article.
Will
AC, etc.
Steve,
I think you better take another look at the illustrations in Casey's and Hardees in the link, they all have the musket vertical. And yes, the hand is correctly positioned near the center of the chest, reenactors tend to put the left arm up near the right shoulder because it is easier to carry the musket that way.
Bob Firth
Facinating article, I
Facinating article, I espically liked the pictures with the marked distortion as the exposer(sp) was being taken you can see who was steady and who was not.Its something to look into.
Seamus
"SOMEBODY LIGHT THIS MONKEY!"
Homer J. Simpson
MEA CULPA
Whoops! Misread the article. I stand corrected.
"Never Apologize, It's a sign of weakness!
Cpt. Nathan Brittles
Pvt. Steve Henry
Co. A, 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry
"Bath City Greys