The Baker Rifle and the Chosen men of the British ArmyAround 1800 the United Kingdom would soon be a

The Baker Rifle and the Chosen men of the British ArmyAround 1800 the United Kingdom would soon be at war with France and soon Napoleon Bonaparte would be master of Europe.  To many within the war ministry it was clear that the British Army needed special unites of rifleman to supplement the rank and file infantry armed with smoothbore muskets.  This was especially true after the mauling the British Army had taken during the American Revolution when sharpshooters armed with Pennsylvania Long Rifles would kill officers and NCO’s at long distances, well out of musket range.  The problem with long rifles was that they were civilian hunting rifles not designed for combat.  The were long, heavy, fragile, and lacked a bayonet attachment.  A bayonet was important because rifles were slow loading (1-2 shot a minute) compared to smoothbore muskets (2-4 shot per minute).  So a rifleman was forced to run away after taking his shot.Gunsmith Ezekiel Bakers design was chosen.  A short, light, flintlock rifle based upon the German Jager rifle.  It was perfect for its purpose because it was shorter and lighter than most standard military issue muskets, with a 32 inch barrel.  Shorter models were also made.  Most importantly it had a bayonet attachment and was issued with a 24 inch sword bayonet.  It was also simple and sturdy, better suited for the rigors of combat than the PA Long Rifle. It fired a .625 caliber round ball.  As it was a rifle it was still slow to load, the user having to cram a ball and greased patch against a rifled bore.  The patch allows the bullet to make contact with the rifling, creating a spin which gives the bullet accuracy.  With a musket one only needs to drop in the ball and tap it with a ramrod.  Usually in the heat of battle, rifleman would forgo the use of a patch and simply seat a ball, which increased firing but decreased accuracy.The Baker Rifle was issued in limited numbers, usually only to special rifle companies.  These rifle companies were made up of specialized marksmen and soldiers who were hand chosen as the best the British Army had to offer.  As such they were often called the kings “chosen men”.  Wearing green uniforms instead of regular army red, they acted as scouts, skirmishers, snipers, and commandos, a forerunner of modern “special forces”.  The most notable rifle unit to serve in the Napoleonic Wars was the 95th light foot regiment, which served in the Peninsular Wars, The War of 1812, and the Battle of Waterloo. The 95th Light Foot and the Baker Rifle were both featured prominently in the 1990’s British TV mini-series “Sharpe’s Rifles”, staring Sean Bean (Boromir in Lord of the Rings).  Its a damn good series, look it up sometime. -- source link

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