What came before the Brown Bess?

[noddaduma]

As you may or may not know, the Brown Bess was developed and issued to the British Army as the Long Land Pattern of 1722. I was curious to know what, if anything, was issued prior to then.

Problem is that there is no real information on the Internet, and since I don't have a reference text, I'm kind of stymied. What did British infantry use before 1722?

Reason I'm wondering is because I'm watching Pirates of the Caribbean, and the British soldiers in the movie carry the Brown Bess. I'm not sure exactly what year the first movie would supposedly take place. The Golden Age of Piracy is fairly well-defined, spanning 1692-1725. I think the movie supposedly takes place towards the end of that era, but I don't think the Brown Bess would have been issued to Garrison units stationed in the Caribbean that soon after development.

Obviously Hollywood used the Brown Bess in the movie for the looks and availability of reproductions, but what would the British troops have *really* used before the issue of that musket?

 

[KirkVN]

My guess would be a Blunderbuss was first, it was used to "clear decks" etc. early version of "Spray & Pray"

 

[KirkVN]

[video=youtube_share;TYyz1FdcBfo]http://youtu.be/TYyz1FdcBfo[/video]

 

[MisterHappy]

The Longbow.



If you really wanna know:

http://www.amazon.com/Small-Arms-British-Forces-1664-1815/dp/1931464405

 

[noddaduma]

I knew this was coming

The Longbow.



If you really wanna know:

http://www.amazon.com/Small-Arms-British-Forces-1664-1815/dp/1931464405

I saw that book and was kind of hoping someone might have a copy they could look in.

 

[NinerMaine]

Without owning the book and really knowing anything about it, I would venture a guess as to being custom made flit rock rifles. This would be before the industrial revolution got into full swing so each rifle was hand made and fitted. No interchangeable parts and so no real model name. You had a rifle. The rifle was made buy a gunsmith. It was unlike any other rifle with the exception of maybe caliber and lock. So, the Brown Bess was maybe the first standardised rifle for the British.

Just my guess.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Without owning the book and really knowing anything about it, I would venture a guess as to being custom made flit rock rifles. This would be before the industrial revolution got into full swing so each rifle was hand made and fitted. No interchangeable parts and so no real model name. You had a rifle. The rifle was made buy a gunsmith. It was unlike any other rifle with the exception of maybe caliber and lock. So, the Brown Bess was maybe the first standardised rifle for the British.

Just my guess.

The vast majority of long arms prior to and during the 19th century were flintlock, smoothe bore muskets firing round lead ball.....not real great for accuracy at any great distances. Rifling wasn't very common until the later part of the 19th century after the revolutionary war.

 

[Jenny]

As finaly says - the Anglos weren't real big on rifles until the late 18th/early 19th century. Last I heard, the current thinking is that we Americans picked riflery up from German immigrants - and the British had German riflemen among the Hessian troops they brought over ... in each case bearing a marksmanship tradition probably tracing back to a German crossbowmen at least. (Willam Tell anyone?)

As far as British infantry, you're in the "New Model Army" period much before Queen Anne in the 1720's I think - think English Civil War. So - smooth bore, long stocked (blunderbuss had always been something of a specialty weapon) - and depending on how early you're talking - flint-lock, dog-lock, or match-lock.

Something like this for instance -

Or for a replica -
http://www.militaryheritage.com/musket15.htm

After the matchlocks died out, and before the Brown Bess came in, you basically had other flint-striking-steel muskets of about the same size and heft as the Bess - just as Niner mentioned not necessarily made to a single national pattern. More detail than that I don't know.

 

[coastie]

The dog lock muskets predated the Brown Bess. I dont remember much about them but I know a number were sent over here as they were phased out of the British Army and used by militia through the French and Indian War. I imagine some were still around for the start of Revolution.