A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. [1]

Nov 20, 2025 · musket, muzzle-loading shoulder firearm, evolved in 16th-century Spain as a larger version of the harquebus. It was replaced in the mid-19th century by the breechloading rifle.

As the practice of rifling firearms—incising the barrel with spiral grooves to improve the bullet's accuracy—became more common, the term musket gradually gave way to the newer word rifle in the …

The primary infantry firearm for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War was the French-made Charleville Musket, first supplied to American forces in 1777.

A soldier's musket, if not exceedingly ill-bored (as many of them are), will strike the figure of a man at eighty yards; it may even at 100; but a soldier must be very unfortunate indeed who shall be …

What is a Musket? The musket is an iconic firearm that left its mark on military history between the 16th and 19th centuries. Recognized for its muzzle-loading technique, the musket served as an evolution …

A musket is generally a smoothbore firearm, while a rifle has grooves (rifling) inside the barrel that impart spin to the projectile, increasing accuracy. Muskets were designed for mass infantry use, …

/ ˈmʌs·kɪt / Add to word list a type of gun with a long barrel that was used in the past (Definition of musket from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

" Brown Bess " is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army 's muzzle-loading smoothbore flintlock Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives. The musket design remained in use for over a …

Aug 21, 2025 · Each type of musket, from matchlocks to percussion systems, showcases the technological advancements achieved over several centuries. While muskets are no longer used in …