GDG- Rifled Musket Characteristics?

[Batrinque at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/21/06 8:11:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
cameron2 at optonline.net writes:

> Another myth.  A CW mimie ball is only a few thousanths of an inch smaller 
> than bore diameter, and when a coating of lubricant (beeswax and tallow) is 
> added, needs to be rammed to get it down the barrel.  They won't just drop 
> down on their own.  All slamming the buttplate against a rock would get you is a 
> broken stock.
> 

I was looking through Dean Thomas's immensely detailed multivolume work on 
small arms ammunition the other night, and I recollect reading of some rifled 
musket rounds that were made with a deliberately small diameter that could be 
loaded in such a fashion, but I believe they were quite uncommon.

Bruce Trinque
Amston, CT