Napoleonic Light Cavalry shooting/dismounting in Black Powder.

[Jabba]

I have been thinking about napoleonic light cavalry in Black Powder.

In their stats they have no shooting value, yet were all armed with carbines or in the case of the French dragoons a musket. They also don't have a dismounted rule yet they would have formed picquets dismounted and mounted.
We have created a house rule for French dragoons to dismount and fight as skirmishers.
Dismount requires an order and a move, while remounting requires an order and a whole turn.

We use this for small units of cavalry giving a stat line of H2H:4, Shoot:3, Morale:4, Stamina:2.
Once I get some British dismounted LDs painted up we will sort out stats for them or any other dismounted light cavalry we find figures for in the future.

Now the crux of my question, has anybody given light cavalry a shooting value while mounted? Admittedly you are unlikely to get a whole regiment formed up and firing from the saddle, Sahagun 1808 being an exception, but small or tiny units acting as picquets or scouts may have.
My thoughts are to
a: allow a shot if they haven't moved more than one move that turn.
b: only allow a shot if they haven't moved.

This would not apply to medium or heavy dragoons as I don't think it likely they would have shot from the saddle.

Any thoughts?

[janner]

Piquets are, perhaps, too granular for divisional level rules, such as BP. However, the new Clash of Eagles supplement introduces a Cavalry Mixed Formation rules, which is worthy of consideration.

As your suggestion stands, I think the shooting value is too high. Given the ineffectiveness of carbine fire against the XVLD at Sahagun, I suggest shooting 1 to be the maximum for a small mounted unit.

In terms of dismounted cavalry, have you considered how the ACW supplement deals with this?

In terms of British Heavy Dragoons, there was little difference in practice between them and lights - as the old maxim went, maneourvre as lights, fight as heavies 

[Silent Invader]

If I recall correctly, the SP2 lists for the Peninsular War allow shooting by French Dragoons (including when mounted, with penalty) but not by British Dragoons.

[Xiombarg]

Agree with Janner . Mounted cavalry should have a shoot of only 1. Otherwise they will be used in an un-historic way (wargamers eh)
Giving them a shoot of 3 makes them as  powerful as a full battalion of infantry delivering volley fire .
The British in particular discouraged use of the carbine except on vedette. I read somewhere that the British only issued 3 rounds per man. For a whole campaign

[Jabba]

The shoot of 3 was for a standard unit of french dragoons, dismounted and armed with the dragoon musket not a carbine. Will probably drop this to 2 for a small unit.