Editing Musket Wars (section)

==Use of the musket by Māori==
The last of the non-musket wars, the 1807 [[Battle of Hingakaka]], was fought between two opposing Māori alliances near modern [[Te Awamutu]], with an estimated 16,000 warriors involved,<ref>Tainui. Leslie G. Kelly. pp. 287–296. Cadsonbury. 2002</ref> although as late as about 1815, some conflicts were still being fought with traditional weapons. The musket slowly put an end to the traditional combat of Māori warfare using mainly hand weapons and increased the importance of coordinated group manoeuvre. One-on-one fights such as [[Pōtatau Te Wherowhero]]'s at the battle of Okoki in 1821 became rare.

Initially, the musket was used as a shock weapon, enabling traditional and iron weapons to be used effectively against a demoralised foe. But by the 1830s equally well-armed [[taua]] engaged each other with varying degrees of success. Māori learnt most of their musket technology from the various [[Pākehā Māori]] who lived in the Bay of Islands and Hokianga area. Some of these men were skilled sailors who were well-experienced in using muskets in battles at sea. Māori customised their muskets; for example, some enlarged the touch holes, which, while reducing muzzle velocity, increased the rate of fire.

=== Quality of muskets ===
Most muskets sold were low quality, short barrel trade muskets made cheaply in [[Birmingham]] with inferior steel and less precision in the action. Māori often favoured the ''tupara'' (two-barrel) shotguns loaded with musket balls, as they could fire twice before reloading. In some battles, women were used to reload muskets while the men kept shooting. Later this presented a problem for the British and colonial forces during the New Zealand Wars when ''iwi'' would keep women in the ''pā''.

Māori found it very hard to obtain muskets as the missionaries refused to trade them or sell powder or shot. The [[Ngāpuhi]] put missionaries under intense pressure to repair muskets even at times threatening them with violence. Most muskets were initially obtained while in Australia. Pākehā Māori such as [[Jacky Marmon]] were instrumental in obtaining muskets from trading ships in return for flax, timber and smoked heads.