A species of firearm formerly carried by the infantry of an army. It was originally fired by means of a match, or matchlock, for which several mechanical appliances (including the flintlock, and finally the percussion lock) were successively substituted. This arm has been superseded by the rifle
Soldier, soldier, won't you marry me, with your musket, fife and drum.
It was originally fired by means of a match, or matchlock, for which several mechanical appliances (including the flintlock, and finally the percussion lock) were successively substituted
A musket was an early type of gun with a long barrel, which was used before rifles were invented. a type of gun used in the past (mousquet, from moschetto , from mosca ). Muzzle-loading shoulder firearm developed in 16th-century Spain. Designed as a larger version of the harquebus, muskets were fired with matchlocks until flintlocks were developed in the 17th century; flintlocks were replaced by percussion locks in the early 19th century. Early muskets were often handled by two persons and fired from a portable rest. Typically 5.5 ft (1.7 m) long and weighing about 20 lbs (9 kg), they fired a ball about 175 yards (160 m) with little accuracy. Later types were smaller, lighter, and accurate enough to hit a person at 80-100 yards (75-90 m). The musket was replaced in the mid-19th century by the breech-loading rifle
A smooth-bore gun used by soldiers during the Revolutionary War English muskets could be loaded and fired rapidly--as quickly as four times per minute They were also designed to be used with a bayonet attached for hand-to-hand fighting
A musket ball was an early form of ammunition used for loading muskets. Musket balls were generally made from lead, (though at times stone musket balls were used) and were muzzle loaded into the barrel of the musket, wrapped in a loosely-fitting paper patch and backed with gunpowder