page_title: Brown Bess
section_title: Musket drill
hierarchical_section_title: Brown Bess / Musket drill
caption_attribution_description: Fort Amherst defends Chatham Dockyard in Kent. Historical re-enactors representing a Highland regiment of foot. Ramming Camera location51°&#160;23′&#160;13.56″&#160;N, 0°&#160;31′&#160;35.76″&#160;EView this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap - Google Earth
context_page_description: The Brown Bess is a nickname for the British Short Land Pattern Musket. It was produced from 1725–1838. The Land Pattern, or more popularly known as the "Brown Bess", and its versions were all .75 caliber smoothbore flintlock muskets. They were the standard guns for all land forces in the British Empire. It was one of the most important military firearms ever designed. It helped win the British Empire. The Brown Bess was replaced after 1838 by smoothbore percussion cap muskets. Its effective range was about 100 yards but in most battle situations the distance between forces was only about 50 yards. Even at that range the gun was not particularly accurate. The British tactic was to fire in vollies followed by a bayonet attack. While the origins of the name Brown Bess are uncertain, a plausible explanation is the name was based on the German Braun buss, meaning strong gun. The gun was commissioned during the reign of King George I of Great Britain, who was from Germany.
context_section_description: The British manual listed 11 drill maneuvers soldiers had to follow to load and fire their muskets. This was the same drill as the one in the drill manual by Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben for the Continental Army. Unless otherwise mentioned steps are performed in one motion:
  Half cock! - the hammer is pulled back to the half-cocked position.
  Handle Cartridge! - bring a paper cartridge from your pouch, bite the top off the paper cartridge exposing the gunpowder and cover it with your thumb (so the powder does not spill out).
  Prime! - from the paper cartridge, pour a small amount of powder into the pan. Again, cover the cartridge while placing three fingers behind the hammer. The elbow should be up.
  Shut Pan! - (done in two motions), first shut the pan while bringing the elbow to the butt of the musket and while holding the cartridge in your hand. The second motion is to turn the musket to the loading position. The butt of the musket is placed on the ground, the lock is to the front and the muzzle is at chin-height; bring your right hand under the muzzle.
  Charge with Cartridge - (two motions). First motion is to place the open cartridge in the muzzle shaking the remaining powder into the barrel followed by the ball and the paper. Secondly, grasp the ramrod; thumb up and elbow down.
  Draw Rammer! - (two motions), with your fingers, first pull the ramrod up until it is halfway out, quickly backhanding the ramrod. The second movement is to completely remove the ramrod and turning it quickly place it into the barrel ramming end down.
  Ram down Cartridge! - push the ramrod down quickly ramming the powder and bullet all the way to the breach.
  Return Rammer! quickly reverse the ramrod and place it back in its holder.
  Poise Firelock! - (in two motions), firstly, turn the firearm with the left hand, lock to the front. Then grasp it with the right hand just below the lock keeping the musket upright. Secondly, in a quick motion raise the musket to the height of the face.
  Cock Firelock! - (in two motions), first turn the barrel and place your thumb on the cock (hammer). Secondly, bring the hammer from the half-cock position to full cock moving your fingers under the trigger guard.
  Take Aim! - with the right foot, step back and at the same time drop the muzzle to the level position; bring the butt of the musket to the shoulder, placing the left hand on the stock under the barrel and the finger on the trigger.
  At this point, observing the troops are all ready to fire, the command is given to "fire". The drill is then repeated as necessary.
caption: Historical re-enactors performing a musket drill
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