Brown Bess Flintlock Musket

"Brown Bess" Flintlock Musket

As the British Empire spread around the world, so too did the “Brown Bess” flintlock musket. From the early 18th century to the mid 19th century, it was the ubiquitous weapon of the British infantry. Known officially as the Land Pattern Musket, it marked the start of the era of standardization of arms across the British infantry. To operate it, all a soldier had to do was:

Bite open the cartridge.
Open the musket pan.
Pour in a small amount of powder.
Close the pan.
Hold the musket vertically.
Pour remaining powder down the barrel.
Push the cartridge paper into the barrel.
Remove the ramrod.
Ram the paper and bullet down the barrel.
Put the ramrod back.
Aim.
Fire.

British soldiers were trained to reload and shoot every 20 seconds, even while under enemy fire. Under 50 yards, the Brown Bess was devastatingly effective. However, at distances of 100 yards or more, it was wildly inaccurate. It was said, derisively, that it took a man’s weight in bullets to kill him. Although it could never be as accurate as a gun with a rifled barrel, its accuracy improved in the hands of more highly trained, experienced soldiers.

The fate of this musket’s original owner is unknown. After General John Burgoyne’s surrender at the Battle of Saratoga, militia Captain John Fellows of Shelburne picked it up off the battlefield. Fellows carved his initials into the brass plate alongside those of the original owner “RD 1777.”