Brown Bess Flintlock Musket Accuracy - updated

2/95th Regt (Australia) re-enactors test the accuracy of the Brown Bess
musket. The test is inspired by the remarkable accuracy of the 2009
test of tap or spit loading. Black powder was 2F. Ball was .67, bore of
muskets was .75 inches. Notably, we did not have bayonets fitted.

The accuracy demonstrated in the test might indicate why light infantry
companies in line regiments were satisfied with the Bess. But it does
not readily explain why commanders were so intent on regiments
reserving their fire until close range. Was the reason not so much lack
of accuracy but the desire to connect the shock effect of a volley with
a bayonet charge? 100 yards is beyond effective charge range.

Or maybe modern day re-enactors are just better trained at shooting
than line infantry soldiers in 1805-15.

UPDATED - improved video quality. Lower quality version retained on YouTube but comments are locked.

CAUTION: not all safety procedures used in this demonstration are
evident in the video.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• army
• napoleonic
• bess
• 95th
• war
• musket
• flintlock
• history
• muzzleload
• peninsular
• cdsadler

[berealiam]

Hey great video but i have some comments. 1st Most English solders did not fire there bess but 3 times a year during peace time. 2nd as for accrucy it would be about 50 percent at 3 rounds a min. 3rd depending on size of the man you are shooting at while moveing toward you and firing. With battle sounds they may have hit there target at most 30 percent of the time. That is why English soldier depended on his Bayonet. Fire prime and load fire prime load fire load fix bayonets charge bayonets

[cdsadler]

@berealiam Sure - we are not claiming this would be the accuracy in battle. Clearly it was not. The gun itself seems relatively accurate with a period load, so other factors must be at play otherwise whole armies would be annihilated on Napoleonic battle fields (and they were not).

[cdsadler]

@berealiam Sure - we are not claiming this would be the accuracy in battle. Clearly it was not. The gun itself seems relatively accurate with a period load, so other factors must be at play otherwise whole armies would be annihilated on Napoleonic battle fields (and they were not).

[mathsprofessional]

I didn't know we could fire flintlocks in Australia, let alone fire an M4A1.

[berealiam]

@cdsadler That is true I love the brown bess one of the best weapons and workhorse for colonization during the period. I know the purpose at that time as was in the revolution was to hold the field as the victor compared to the cost of men and supplies. This is a good video on demostrating the weapons use. Most people must just be aware of factors a soldier faced when he had to use and fire in volly formation during a battle and factors that effect it.

[lukie117]

.67 is much too small thats why the accuracy was poor

[mrfunds122]

@cdsadler That's great, I never shot a smoothbore, which is why I am so curious of how it affects the accuracy. Great video by the way.

[cdsadler]

@mrfunds122 They are both Pedersoli reproductions - smoothbore of course.

[mrfunds122]

@TheRoboteer Are these exact models? (They don't have rifling?)

[AlvinSpitoon]

@TheRoboteer This is true and it would also occur for right handed soldiers. W/e handed they were though, most soldiers would turn their head right before firing as to not hurt their eyes