Colonial Era Replica Military Smoothbore Muskets by Jastro Historic Armory

Colonial Era Replica Smoothbore Muskets:
U.S. Kentucky Flintlock Rifle
British "Brown Bess" Musket w/bayonet
French "Charleville" Musket w/bayonet

Before the outbreak of the Revolution, the American or Colonial Troops had been used to the regulation of British Army musket, more to the guns being the famous "Brown Bess". It was naturally the "Brown Bess" which served as a pattern for the first America made muskets produced from local gunsmiths when the war broke out in 1775. Many British arms fell into the hands of the Americans with the seizure of colonial arsenal. Many more were captured from British troops, with the result that at the beginning of the war, most of the weapons were either British made or patterned after British design.

During the war, the United States procured some 100,000 French military muskets of various models. Because so many of them were marked "Charleville", it became the custom to refer to all French models as "Charleville" muskets.

Although, the British muskets were in use during the Revolution and several thousand more were purchased in 1794, the British model was not the one finally adopted. When the United States armories were established at Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1794 and at Harpers Ferry in 1796, the French musket, Model 1763, was adopted as a pattern for making the first American military musket. Production started in 1795 at Springfield, and the weapon a close duplication of the 1763 French model, has since become known as the United States musket, Model 1795. 

If you have any specific questions about our Colonia Era Replica Military Smoothbore Muskets call us at 1.877.852.7876 or click here to contact us.