Book Description

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 51. Chapters: Early firearms, Muskets, Arquebus, Flintlock, Muzzleloader, Huolongjing, Antique gun, Brown Bess, Wheellock, Charleville musket, Naval artillery in the Age of Sail, Hand cannon, Matchlock, Blunderbuss, Jezail, Model 1795 Musket, Culverin, Nock gun, Snaplock, Wall gun, Fire lance, Model 1816 Musket, Howdah pistol, Springfield rifle, Springfield Model 1812 Musket, Model 1822 Musket, Springfield Model 1840 Flintlock Musket, Musketoon, Powder horn, Huochong, Petronel, Jingal. Excerpt: A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer. The musket replaced the arquebus, and was in turn replaced by the rifle. The term "musket" is applied to a variety of weapons, including the long, heavy guns with matchlock or wheel lock and loose powder fired with the gun barrel resting on a stand, and also lighter weapons with Snaphance, flintlock or caplock and bullets using a stabilizing spin (Minie ball), affixed with a bayonet. 16th-century troops armed with a heavy version of the arquebus called a musket were specialists supporting the arquebusiers and pikemen formations. By the start of the 18th century, a lighter version of the musket had edged out the arquebus, and the addition of the bayonet edged out the pike, and almost all infantry became musketeers. In the 18th century, improvements in ammunition and firing methods allowed rifling to be practical for military use, and the term "rifled gun" gave way to "rifle." In the 19th century, rifled muskets (which were technically rifles, but were referred to as muskets) became common which combined the advantages of rifles and muskets. About the time of the introduction of cartridge, breechloading, and multiple rounds of ammunition just a few...