"Scots artillery carriages - painted or tarred?" Topic

On page 24 of Scots Armies of the English Civil Wars (an Osprey book, not always the most reliable of sources) the author states:

Scots gun carriages were not painted, as was the practice in most armies, but instead covered with tar.

Does anyone have any further information here, or a way to back up this assertion?

I'd like to find out before I paint my Sakers…

Reid is generally a reliable author concerning Scots armies.

And tar/pitch was cheaper than paint…

Tar or pitch, eh? That brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "sticking to your guns."

But what kind of tar?

Naturally occurring tar, wood tar, peat tar, coal tar, lignite tar…they all have different appearances.

But what kind of tar?

Both wood (pine) and coal tar was manufactured in Scotland at that time so are possibilities. Lignite and natural tar would have to be imported so I doubt them and have not heard of commercial scale peat tar being available,

x42

Thanks for the help!

Next question – should the barrels be brass colored or painted black?

Standard practice in the ECW era was that brass barrels were often left unpainted, but the probably commoner iron barrels were generally painted to protect the metal. No reason to think that the Scots did any differently AFAIK