Brown Bess Short Land Pattern
British Board of Ordnance · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1768
Also known as: Short Land Pattern Musket, Second Model Brown Bess, Pattern 1768, Pattern 1769
Overview
The Brown Bess Short Land Pattern is a .75 caliber flintlock smoothbore musket, the shortened service variant of the British Land Pattern Musket family adopted by Royal Warrant in 1768. With a 42-inch (1,067 mm) barrel it was lighter and handier than the earlier Long Land Pattern, and it became the principal infantry musket carried by British forces during the American Revolutionary War. Being smoothbore and muzzle-loaded, it fired a roughly one-ounce lead ball at low velocity and was accurate only at short range, depending on disciplined massed volley fire and the socket bayonet for effect.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4763 g (168.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1486 mm (58.50") |
| Barrel Length | 1067 mm (42.01") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Muzzle Velocity | 305 m/s (1001 fps) |
| Effective Range | 46 m (50 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 274 m (300 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 3 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Russet Brown |
Calibers
- .75 Caliber Musket Ball · primary — also known as 0.75 in, 11-bore ball, .71 lead ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Smoothbore Barrel, Muzzle Loaded, Brass Furniture, Socket Bayonet Lug, Ramrod
Base model
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1768 · as Short Land Pattern Musket
- Continental Army / United States
Conflicts
- American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802)
Production
Production years: 1768-1797
Produced under the British Board of Ordnance at the Tower of London and by contract makers; part of the multi-million total across all Land Pattern variants.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Discontinued: 1797
Notes
Sometimes called the Second Model Brown Bess. Standardised for all British services by Royal Warrant dated 11 June 1768; superseded in front-line manufacture by the India Pattern from the 1790s. Muzzle velocity for period smoothbores is approximate.
Background
Shortened from the Long Land Pattern, its handier length let it be fired from horseback, making it a favourite of mounted dragoon troops; it is the Brown Bess most associated with the redcoats of the American Revolution.