The Brown Bess Musket – A legend in firearms history 

While the British and Continental armies during the Revolutionary War had many  differences, they had one striking similarity: the Brown Bess Musket.  

Let’s take a closer look at the firearm that won – and lost, the Revolutionary War.  

The Brown Bess musket was the firearm of choice for over a century,  revolutionizing warfare and helping to shape the course of history.  

It had a distinctive design and for the time, was very reliable. This reliability led to  its frequent association with British military power from the 1700s through the  1800s. Born of a need to standardize and increase domestic production of  firearms, the Brown Bess’s unique characteristics were first seen in the Long Land  Pattern musket. These firearms were flint lock muskets that had a 46-inch, .75  caliber barrel, walnut stock, crescent shaped lock plate and brass furnishings. 

The design continued to evolve in the coming years.  

Variations in the shape and strength of the cock, the addition of a bridle  supporting the priming pan, and the replacement of the gun’s wooden ramrod with  a steel one, were major improvements for the musket’s efficiency and durability. 

The ramrod was particularly important because ramrod breakage was no longer an  issue meaning the soldier was protected and more effective. The improved rod  drove the load home more rapidly, allowing for a faster rate of fire. 

The Short Land Pattern musket appeared in the early 1740s featuring a shorter 42- inch barrel. Although the Short Land musket became the standard British infantry  weapon in 1768, both Long and Short guns were produced for years after. It was  this top-of-the-line firearm that found itself on both sides of the American  Revolution.  

So where did the name “Brown Bess” come from? Find out in part 2.