Tower Musket
British Board of Ordnance · Rifle · Discontinued · 1722
Also known as: Brown Bess, Tower of London Musket, Land Pattern Musket, King's Musket
Overview
The Tower Musket is the common name for the British military flintlock muzzleloading musket whose lock plate is stamped TOWER with the crown and royal cypher, denoting manufacture or proof at the Board of Ordnance's gunmaking establishment at the Tower of London. A .75 caliber smoothbore better known as the Brown Bess, it served the British Army through the Long Land, Short Land, and India Pattern variants from the early 18th century until the percussion era, firing a paper-cartridge ball and buck loads at close ranks.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4200 g (148.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1490 mm (58.66") |
| Barrel Length | 1067 mm (42.01") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | None |
| Muzzle Velocity | 305 m/s (1001 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1321 J (974 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 90 m (98 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 270 m (295 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 4 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | 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
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock
- Features: Smoothbore Barrel, Socket Bayonet Lug, Brass Furniture, Tower Lock Markings, Wooden Ramrod
Variants
- Long Land Pattern — Early Pattern
- Short Land Pattern — Shortened Pattern
- India Pattern — Mass Production Pattern
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1722
- British East India Company · adopted 1771 · as India Pattern
- Continental Army
Conflicts
- American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)
- War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Production
Production years: 1722-1838
Across all Land and India Patterns, several million Brown Bess muskets were produced; over two million India Pattern arms alone were made between 1793 and 1815.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Discontinued: 1838
Notes
The TOWER lock stamp identifies arms inspected or assembled at the Tower of London ordnance works, distinguishing them from privately contracted or colonial-made copies. The musket was a smoothbore, so effective accuracy against a single target was limited; volley fire and the socket bayonet defined its tactics.
Background
Soldiers spoke of 'hugging Brown Bess,' and to 'carry a Brown Bess' meant to serve as an infantry private. The TOWER mark on the lock became a byword for a genuine government-issue stand of arms.