Recoil, rate of fire, and gunnery training

The breeching rope restrained a recoiling gun and transferred its force to strong anchor points in the ship's side. If the rope or fittings failed, the heavy carriage could tear across the deck and kill its own crew. Its grim nickname, the gate rope, suggested that a failure would send the crew through the Pearly Gates. A late-eighteenth-century Royal Navy broadside could fire roughly two to three times in five minutes, with especially proficient ships reaching four, or one broadside every 75 seconds. A cycle beyond 90 seconds was considered problematic, and one longer than two minutes would upset the captain and admiral because rate of fire partly compensated for poor accuracy. Crews often rehearsed the movements without firing because ships were allowed to expend only a restricted share of their powder early in a voyage. Wealthy or prize-successful captains could improve practical gunnery by purchasing extra training powder themselves.