historicalfirearms:New Land Light Infantry Pattern Musket In June 1803, the British Army’s Adjutant
historicalfirearms:New Land Light Infantry Pattern Musket In June 1803, the British Army’s Adjutant General wrote to the Secretary of the Ordnance Board requesting the development and manufacture of a new pattern of infantry musket specially adapted for use by light infantry. The importance of light infantry had increased during the French Revolutionary War as French tactical doctrine relied on large bodies of light troops to precede their advancing columns. The British scrambled to relearn the lessons they had learnt during the American War of Independence and began improving their light infantry forces. Light infantry of the period were tasked with acting independently of units that fought in more linear formations. During battle their role was to skirmish with enemy light troops, protecting line battalions but forming a screen and sniping at enemy units such as advancing French infantry columns. For this role light infantry had to be intelligent, fit and good marksmen, as a result they needed weapons which were more accurate than the average infantryman’s musket. In the early 1800s a series of new light infantry regiments; the 43rd, 52nd light foot and most famously the 95th Rifle Regiment were formed. While the 95th were armed with the Baker Rifle, effective out to roughly 200 yards, the other regiments were initially armed with standard issue smoothbore muskets. The New Land Light Infantry Pattern Musket was an attempt to improve the smoothbore musket’s accuracy with the addition of a rear sight improved, however, the musket was still only effective within 100 yards. The new light infantry musket was to have a browned barrel (to minimise reflection), a simple rear sight (an improvement over the standard India Pattern musket which only had a fore sight) and an brass scroll trigger guard, similar to the Baker Rifle’s, to act as a pistol grip. The new musket was also to be shorter and more handy than the standard issue India Pattern Brown Bess.The Baker Rifle, used by the 95th Rifles, 5/60th and the Portuguese Cacadores (source)In March 1802, the Treaty of Amiens briefly ended the war between Britain and France, however, by May 1803 the War of the Third Coalition had begun and the development and production of a dedicated new light infantry was paused as manufacturing capacity was needed for India Pattern and the New Land Pattern muskets. It wasn’t until 1810 that the idea of a light infantry musket was revisited. The Duke of Wellington’s army had been fighting in Spain since 1808 and the new light infantry regiments had proved invaluable. More dedicated light infantry regiments were formed, including Light Battalions of the King’s German Legion as well as the 51st, 60th, 68th, 71st, and 85th throughout the war. Production of the new muskets began In London and Birmingham in 1811, each musket cost 26 shillings. The New Land Light Infantry Pattern had a 39 inch barrel, fired a .75 calibre ball and initially used the long lock, as used by the longer New Land Pattern, before a lighter lock was introduced. Some 20,000 muskets were ordered and these saw service throughout the remainder of the Peninsular War, during the War of 1812 and during the Hundred Day campaign which culminated with the Battle of Waterloo. The New Land Light Infantry Pattern remained in service until it was replaced by percussion lock muskets and rifles in the 1840s and 1850s. Source:Images: 1 2 3 4British Military Firearms 1650-1850, H.L. Blackmore, (1961)If you enjoy the content please consider supporting Historical Firearms through Patreon!I must add as a smoothbore musket shooter, even though a musket might be a smoothbore, the addition of a rear sight makes a HUGE difference when it comes to accuracy. -- source link