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Bess Versus Bess; The Flintlock Used by Both Sides in the Revolutionary War - By: Randall Graham  The American War of Independence was the one of the first conflicts where flintlock muskets were heavily used, overtaking hand-to-hand combat with sabers as the primary method of doing battle. One of such weapons, the British "Brown Bess" flintlock musket was made famous, if for no other reason, than that it was used by soldiers on both sides of the conflict. The official weapon of the British Infantry, it was also exported to the American Colonies long before they rebelled against the crown, resulting in the British fighting against a force that had many of its militants using the same weapons. There has been some dispute and uncertainty over where the name "Brown Bess" came from, but the most likely origin is the German term "Braun Buss" meaning "strong gun" Since the weapon was commissioned during the reign of King George I, a native of Germany, this does seem to be a very plausible origin for the name. The Brown Bess was also one of the first weapons to utilize standardization of size and caliber, employing a template, or "pattern", making it easier to supply troops with ammunition that would fit in their weapons. Prior to the use of patterns, the range of different weapons, each using a different size of ammunition, made for a supply nightmare in the field. There were many different patterns made throughout the lifespan of this musket. The musket most commonly associated with the American War of Independence, or Revolutionary War, was the Brown Bess "Land Pattern" version. It was 62.5 inches (159 cm) long and weighed about 15 pounds (6.8 Kg) with the bayonet attached, and fired a lead ball that measured a whopping 3/4ths of an inch (1.9 cm) in diameter! Imagine what kind of damage such a projectile could do, especially compared to our modern weapons. I shudder to think of the suffering inflicted upon any person being hit by one of these things. The Brown Bess musket was designed in 1722, and saw use clear up until about the mid 1800s. There were modifications made during the 19th century, most notably the conversion from the original flintlock mechanism to percussion caps, resulting in more reliable firing in wet conditions. In addition to the American War of Independence, the Brown Bess also saw use in the Indian Wars, the British Zulu wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and even the Texas Revolution. The "Brown Bess" flintlock musket was made famous, if for no other reason, than that it was used by both the American Colonists and the British. Randall Graham is an internet marketer and author and fan of history. He is also a co-author of the blog, "The Non-Smoking Gun". Reenactors, history buffs and gun fanciers will find authentic non-firing, black powder and blank-firing replicas of historic and classic firearms of the American Revolution, Civil War, Old West, both World Wars and the 20th Century at GunsOfOld.com. Other items of interest include Old West badges, Civil War and World War reenactor gear, holsters and other leather goods. |