Weapons Drill?

Another simple (? simplistic?) question. If a nation develops/invents a new improved form of weaponry and then distributes it to the armed forces - will the users need to be drilled in its proper use, or will they have that expertise as part of the development? (That may be a bit vague. because I'm trying to be non-specific as to whether military/naval etc. but hopefully the drift is clear...)

I had some troops that I switched from matchlocks to flintlocks and was told their facility in picking up the new weapons would be a function of their training level (well/excellently drilled, etc.).

Depending upon what you're actually doing, your mileage may vary...

I suppose it could vary upon the level of technology jump, Are you taking natives armed with spears & giving them Muskets them the training will basically start from 0. If however as Deacon says you are switching from Matchlock to Flintlock, the change is not so dramatic, however a degree of familiarisation will be required. New tactics and or ways to best impliment the new technology need to be found, plus new drill methods would historicall yhave to be created and implimented.

It is probably worth taking the six monthes in game to drill the troops to avoid any nasty surprises.

I recently re-armed spear and bow equipped troops with flintlock muskets before they started any traning. No special training was required though it did raise honour by one. At least i think that was the reason.

Did you re equip them and then train them? Or were they trained & then re equipt ?

It was in game 8 and the troops had just been activated shortly after game start. They have since been trained.
I will sortly be equipping troops with muskets after they have been trained though i havn't been told that any further traning will be required.
If memory serves, In India i re-equipped troops after they hade been trained and no special training was required, though that was 10+ years ago.

I have changed the equipment of excellently drilled infantry from spear/bow to flintlock muskets and there been no problems so far.

Thanks for all of that, folks. I'm aiming for an "improved" version of what is currently equipped, though it is still in development. The troops have been fully-drilled in their current arms - though there may be a slight wrinkle in that (coming clean) the mounted troops don't currently have an equivalent of what they will eventually be given, so may need extra training, which I will check with Agema when it comes up and try to remember to post their reply here.