Windage

[waynef]

I have read some on this forum abt windage. Being a shooter I thought I new what u all were talking abt (Kentucky) or ( adj the sights in order to compensate for the wind)  but it became clear this had to do with the difference in bore diameter and the diameter of the shell.
Couple of questions I have.

Is there a standard windage for say mortars/howitzers & cannons? I assume this is just for smooth bores? If u have .050" difference between the shell diameter and bore diameter, is .050" considered the windage?

Enough for now.
Thanks for any help,

Wayne

[cannonmn]

That's my understanding also.  Some very knowledgeable folks told me 0.040 inches was fairly standard during the Civil War, but you can check by comparing bore and ammo for various weapons.  Windage was necessary for both smoothbores and rifled cannons.  Time fuses for both depended on some flame getting the projectile, for one thing, but windage was also necessary for ammo manufacturing variances, for ease of loading in case fouling would build up during firing, and other reasons.

[GGaskill]

The recommended standard here is 1 part in 40, which is good for the relatively small bore guns made by members of this forum.  If you look at the historical record of US Civil War era artillery, you will find that windage gets proportionately smaller as you go to the larger bores.  But since I doubt there will be many making 8" howitzers, the 1 in 40 rule is good.

[Artilleryman]

  Time fuses for both depended on some flame getting the projectile,

The flame did not reliably get by rifled projectiles that used expanding cups or lead bands because they sealed the bore.  Some of the Hotchkiss rounds actually had a flame groove to help light time fuses.  That doesn't take away as cannonmn says from having enough windage to easily load the projectile.