Firing the Brown Bess for the First Time

Every year on April 19th, I try to get out to the range to fire at least one shot to commemorate the events of April 19th, 1775 and "the shot heard round the world". I do it to honor those Americans who stood their ground on Lexington Green and Concord Bridge. Usually I take one of my historic WWII firearms to shoot, but this year I did something different.

In 1973, my father bought a replica Short Land pattern "Brown Bess" musket that had been commissioned by the British American Bicentennial Group for the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial. The documentation that came with the musket (see photos) tells the story. The short version is that this is the musket carried by the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welch Fusiliers) from when they charged up Bunker Hill until they surrendered to Washington at Yorktown.

Until now it's been a wall-hanger, but I decided that the 50th anniversary year of its manufacture and acquisition would be an appropriate occasion to fire it for the first time. And what better day to do it than on April 19th?

To fire a flintlock muzzle-loader the way soldiers did it at that time, you first have to make paper cartridges. These are just rolled-up tubes of paper with a lead ball tied into one end with thread, the correct charge of black powder poured into the tube, and then twisted shut.

The Brown Bess with some accoutrements:  paper cartridges, a .71 caliber lead ball, wire pick and horsehair brush to keep the flash hole and pan clean, and flint wallet with extra flints and a knapping hammer.  The musket is .75 caliber, but they used smaller-diameter bullets so they could continue to load when the barrel was fouled with black powder residue.

The sequence of loading and firing the musket is as follows:

1. Hold the musket horizontally, bring the hammer to half-cock, and open the frizzen.

2. Secure a paper cartridge and tear off the end with your teeth.

3. Pour about 10% of the powder into the pan, and close the frizzen.

4. Turn the musket muzzle-up and pour the rest of the powder down the barrel.

5. Place the ball (still wrapped in paper) on the muzzle and start it into the barrel.

6. Remove the ramrod from under the barrel, and use it to ram the ball and paper wadding down the barrel onto the powder charge.

7. Replace the ramrod under the barrel.

8. Turn the musket to a horizontal position.

9. Bring the hammer to full-cock ("MAKE READY!")

10. Bring the musket to your shoulder and point it at the target.("PRESENT!")

11. Pull the trigger ("FIRE!")

Repeat steps 1-11 three to four times per minute (!)

I have hunted deer with a flintlock Pennsylvania rifle before, but it is loaded with loose powder and ball, in a different sequence. So this procedure was new to me. I had made some paper cartridges at home, and brought them to the range with me. I put a B-27 silhouette target 25m downrange, and prepared to load and fire my first shot from the Brown Bess.

I made a video of the entire process of shooting the Brown Bess for posterity (whoever that might be, lol).  

The first shot ever fired from this Brown Bess.  It is a screen capture from the video I took of the loading and firing process.  Unfortunately, this first shot was a miss.  It probably went high, as I have read they were wont to do.  It could also have gone wide, because the trigger pull is extremely heavy.  The flintlock  also has a very long lock time, so it requires great concentration to stay on target with that flash right in front of your face!

My experience is summarized below:

1. Load the musket.

2. Misfire (click, no flash or bang). It turned out all the powder had fallen out of the pan when I turned the musket vertically to load the rest into the barrel. I resolved to be more careful closing the frizzen onto the pan.

3. Tear open a new cartridge and re-prime.

4. Successful shot! (See dramatic screen capture). Unfortunately this shot was a miss.

5. Reload the musket.

6. Misfire (flash in the pan).

7. Re-prime and try again.

8. Misfire (no flash).

9. Misfire (no flash).

10. Adjust flint.

11. Misfire (flash in the pan)

12. Reprime and try again.

13-16 (see 11-12).

16. Give up on using coarse FFg powder for priming, and switch to fine FFFFg priming powder from my hunting flintlock. Try again.

17. Successful shot! This time it was a solid hit in the X-ring.

This was my second shot. I was better-prepared to hold the musket on target this time (several shots of unintended dry-fire practice!) My aiming point for this shot was the bottom of the target. That seems to be the right place!

Unfortunately for me, I would have been run through with a bayonet long before I ever got off the second shot, unless it was a pretty slow Redcoat out there.

What follows are photos of the documentation that came with the musket when it was purchased.

General information about the commemorative musket and why this particular model was significant for the U.S. Bicentennial celebration.

The letter my dad received acknowledging the purchase. There is a similar letter from when they got the check for the balance, but this one has more information.

A certificate signed by the Colonel of the Royal Welch Fusiliers (former 23rd Regiment of Foot). By sheer coincidence, when I was in the U.S. Army, I served in the 23rd Engineer Battalion.

I love this: "...In our very long history, we have never before had an opportunity, or perhaps considered it appropriate, to commemorate a defeat..."

Some regimental history.

Some more detailed information about the Brown Bess

So: I totally respect and revere the people who went to war and hunted for their food using these (to us) primitive firearms. Shooting it for the first time was a very educational experience, and a worthy tribute to the courageous Patriots who decided "enough was enough", and risked everything to secure our Liberty and Independence.

Mood: Reverent

Music:  The Concord Hymn