Charleville and Brown Bess calibers
Aren’t Charleville muskets supposed to be 69 caliber? Are Brown Bess muskets 75 caliber? And Other Caliber Related Questions About 18th Century Muskets?
Here at Veteran Arms LLC, we often get questions about the bore diameters of our muskets - specifically 68 vs 69 caliber for the French muskets and 74 vs 75 caliber for British muskets as well as appropriate ball diameters.
During the bicentennial of the American Revolution, several companies began reproducing replica muskets. The caliber settled upon for the reproduction British muskets was 75 caliber - or about middle range for original pieces, and 69 for French pieces. These supposed "correct" calibers stuck and have been oft repeated almost to the point that they are accepted as the only correct bore sizes. The truth is that forging and machining processes were not nearly as accurate during the 18th and early 19th century and the weapons produced during that period were designed to fall within an acceptable tolerance range.
For the British Brown Bess (and all other weapons with what was called "musket bore") the piece was to have a bore diameter of from .73-.79 inches.
In fact, most original pieces existing today have bore diameters from .77-.78 inches.
These wide tolerances didn't matter because the balls issued for the piece were significantly smaller than the bore diameters with the median being about .693. Even so, each solder was to test his cartridges upon issue to see whether the balls issued would slip easily into the bore of his musket while still wrapped in their papers and, if not, to either swap them with another man or set them aside to be hammered out of round enough to pass or broken and recast.
The same was true of French muskets like the Charleville. Again, the caliber settled upon approximately 40 years ago was a median caliber - i.e. .69 for reproduction muskets. However, the French government during the 18th century specified the acceptable bore tolerances for muskets to be from .666-.711 inches and for balls for those muskets to have a size of 18-20 "Balles a la livre" or .629-.652 diameter with most existing examples being about .643. Ditto the 1795 Springfield musket which was a copy of the French Charleville Musket.
The bottom line is that 74 caliber is a historically accurate bore diameter for a Brown Bess, and 68 caliber is a historically correct bore diameter for a French weapon of “musket bore” - ie a Charleville or similar American weapon like the 1795 Springfield.
Source
This is a sample purchase from Veterans Arms of what a reenactor may need.
1740 Long Land (1st Model) Brown Bess 74 caliber
I am at least 18 years old and agree to Veteran Arms LLC’s Terms & Conditions of sale.
Qty: 1
$749.00
Military Heritage offers a 75 caliber and is 599 or 699. Verify price at their website.
.69 Diameter Lead Balls - 25 pcs
Qty: 1
$18.60
Deluxe Brown Bess Bayonet & Scabbard - American Hasta Brand
Qty: 1
$109.00
Hammerstall - Natural Color
Qty: 1
$7.00
Flashguard
Qty: 1
$9.00
Natural Leather Musket Sling with Brass Buckle
Qty: 1
$29.90
Brown Bess Musket, 40 Rounds Kit
Qty: 1
$40.00
Subtotal | $962.50 |
Shipping (Orders for multiple items will have shipping combined in order to minimize costs and any overage refunded.) | $121.00 |
TOTAL | $1 083.50 |
Other places to buy a Brown Bess
Veterans Arms shown above
Military Heritage
Henry Krank
CHARLEVILLE
Where Manufactured?
Charleville-Mézières, Ardennes, France's royal armaments factory was formerly located there and gave its name to the Charleville musket, before being relocated and divided between Tulle and Châtellerault
It was St. Etienne that provided the bulk of the arms to the Navy for the Compagnies Franche de la Marine in the late 1740s.
The Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne was created by royal decree in 1764 under the supervision of the General Inspector of the Royal Arms Manufacture of Charleville.
Weapons factory of Charleville
In 1667 Minister Louvois created around Charleville a network to recover weapons produced by numerous craftmen.
In 1675 the Charleville arms factory became the first official French weapons factory.
Although it was located in Charleville in the French Ardennes, it worked with many workshops in the Meuse valley, particularly in Nouzon.
In 1688, the Royal Factory Charter was granted to all the city’s gunsmiths, and particularly to Victor Fourier, whose production was for the King only. In 1717 the first official regulated gun is produced by the factory, followed by the 1743, 1746, 1754, 1763, 1766 and the famous 1777 model.
During the Revolution the city changed its name to Libreville (Free city) and reverted back to Charleville in 1800.
The factory was at its peak during Napoleon reign. In 1816, Restoration slowed down its output, focusing on exceptional weapons like the King’s bodyguards guns. The factory closed out in 1836, considered too close to the border. Its guns are now highly sought after by collectors.
A Brief History of the Manufacture de Châtellerault
The French government decided in 1836 - 1837 to close the firearms manufactories of Maubeuge and Charleville, close to the northern border of the country, and to transfer their production to Châtellerault and Saint-Etienne. Likewise, the government rid itself of Klingenthal too close to the eastern border. The premises were sold to the Coulaux brothers (see article on Klingenthal). It was rumoured that Marshal Soult, the Minister of War in 1834, did all he could to accelerate the closing of the Manufacture de Klingenthal. He avenged himself on Klingenthal for having refused in the past to buy steel from his personal factories in the French province of Tarn. Anyway, the Manufacture de Châtellerault was assured of the future.
History of Klingenthal
At the beginning of the 18th century, king Louis XV decided to create a state-controlled sword manufacturing company in order to limit the imports of Solingen blades to France. In 1733, the Manufacture d'Armes Blanches d' Alsace commenced operation with the help of 25 skilled workers from Solingen, Germany. The Alsace province, in East of France, was chosen for the availability of iron mines and forges.
In 1768, accommodation for the Director and his staff (artillery officers) was built in a place called Klingenthal (Klingen=blades, thal= valley), the factory became Manufacture de Klingenthal . Under this name, thousands of blades were produced until the end of the 19th century.
KLINGENTHAL – THE VALLEY OF BLADES
Klingenthal is a small river town in the north-east corner of France near Strasbourg. The city was built by Bauyn d’ Angervillers, former French war secretary, and Henri Anthes was granted the first directorship by King Louis XV on July 15th, 1730. The city sits in a strategic location featuring water power for hydraulic forges and grindstones, as well as local iron ore and wood. Klingenthal was established in part to free the French from their reliance on imported foreign weaponry and operated as a single government company for large scale manufacturing of blades and military arms. The town was the closest competition to Solingen, Germany and anecdotally has been said to have begun with Solingen defectors who named Klingenthal in their native German tongue to mean Valley of the Blades.
Charleville was founded by Charles Gonzaga, the 8th duke of Mantua, in 1606. Its inhabitants were known as Carolopolitans (Carolopolitains or Carolopolitaines). It was prosperous from the 17th century, although its fortifications were dismantled under Louis XIV in 1687 and it passed into French hands in 1708.
History
Marin le Bourgeoys created the first true flintlock weapons for King Louis XIII shortly after his accession to the throne in 1610.[2] Throughout the 17th century, flintlock muskets were produced in a wide variety of models.
In 1717, a flintlock musket for the French infantry was standardized. This became the first standard flintlock musket to be issued to all French troops.
While it is more correctly called a French infantry musket or a French pattern musket, these muskets later became known as "Charleville muskets", after the armory in Charleville-Mézières, Ardennes, France.[3]
The standard French infantry-long gun was also produced at Tulle, Saint-Étienne, Maubeuge Arsenal, and other sites.
NAME
While technically not the correct name for these muskets, the use of the name Charleville dates back to the U.S. Revolutionary War, when Americans tended to refer to all of the musket models as Charlevilles. The naming of these muskets is not consistent. Some references only refer to Model 1763 and later versions as Charleville flintlock muskets, while other references refer to all models as the Charleville. The Charleville musket's design was refined several times during its service life. Later models of Charleville muskets remained in service until 1840, when percussion lock systems made the flintlock mechanism obsolete.[4]
Model 1728
The Model 1728 replaced the pinned barrel with a barrel held in place by three barrel bands, which would become standard on all subsequent Charleville muskets. The barrel band design was not only easier to disassemble for cleaning, but was also sturdier, which was an important consideration in bayonet combat.
Changes in the 1740s included the standardized use of a steel ramrod in 1741 and, after 1746, newly manufactured muskets had the pan/frizzen bridle removed. Other minor changes were also made throughout the Model 1728's production life. These modified versions are generally considered to be minor variations to the Model 1728, and are not typically considered to be a separate and distinct model of musket. A total of 375,000 Model 1728 muskets were produced.
Model 1763
After the Seven Years' War (in North America often known as the French and Indian war), the French infantry musket was redesigned, resulting in the Model 1763.
The barrel was shortened from 46 to 44 inches (1,200 to 1,100 mm) and the octagonal breech plug featured on earlier models was replaced with a more rounded design. The stock's distinctive "cow's foot" butt was modified with a much more straightened design. The ramrod was also given a more trumpet shaped end.
Though shorter in length, the Model 1763 was designed to be heavier and sturdier, and weighed over ten pounds.
A total of 88,000 Model 1763 muskets were produced.
In 1754,
the French introduced a shorter Officers version of the Charleville.
Most models were produced in shorter dragoon versions, which were generally about ten inches (250 mm) shorter than their infantry counterpart. The Model 1763, 1766, and 1777 were all available in a cavalry version. These are also often called carbine versions.
Large numbers of Charleville Model 1763 and 1766 muskets were imported into the United States from France during the American War of Independence, due in large part to the influence of Marquis de Lafayette.[7]
The Charleville 1766 heavily influenced the design of the Springfield Musket of 1795.
The Model 1766 and 1777 were also used by the French during their participation in the American Revolutionary War
.
The Model 1777 was used throughout the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It remained in service, at least partially, until the mid-1840s.
SOURCE
with a pan bridle
without a pan bridle
Pictures and Maps of
Charleville-Mézières, Ardennes on the Meuse river:
The early 18th century brought a flurry of developments in French musketry. A standardized model was finally established in 1717. However the abundance of Marine models, and Contract Fusil de Chasse in North America relegated the 1717 musket to a life in France's forces stationed in Europe. The 1717 was replaced eleven years later in 1728 with a model using three barrel bands to hold its 46 3/4 inch barrel in place.
The 1728 musket, with modifications made in 1746, was the musket carried by the majority of French troops during the French and Indian War (see images of the Compagnies Franche de la Marine and the Regiment de Bearn).
Changes in the 1740s included the standardized use of a steel ramrod in 1743 and, after 1746, newly manufactured muskets had the pan/frizzen bridle removed.
There were three arsenals making the 1728/1746 models: Charleville, Maubeuge, and St. Etienne. St. Etienne was the largest producer and because of this the 1728 is often called the St. Etienne musket. It was St. Etienne that provided the bulk of the arms to the Navy for the Compagnies Franche de la Marine in the late 1740s.
After 1754 some more changes were done however it is unlikely many of the 1754 muskets made it to the fighting in North America because of the vast quantities of 1728 muskets in the armories of New France. In 1763, the 46 3/4-inch barreled 1728 musket was abandoned for a shorter new model known commonly as the Charleville Musket. However this did not end the use of the 1728 model in North America. A new army had immerged in the 1770s with a dire need for arms. The Continental Army of the United States was more than happy to purchase the old arms of France to assist them in their struggle against Great Britain. As well it is possible captured stores in New France were re-issued to Quebec's militia to defend themselves from the invading Americans in 1775-1776, or fell into American hands after the fall of Montreal.
In 1763 France adopted a new model infantry weapon, much stronger than the previous models, to answer the accelerated fighting during the War of the Seven Years (which ended that same year). The new rifle however appeared soon to be too heavy and after only three years it was replaced by its modified version, known as Model 1766, projected by M. de Montbeillard, Inspector of Saint Etienne Manufacture. The new model appeared to be very strong and reliable in spite it was remarkably lightened. The Model 1766 was manufactured in more than 150,000 pieces until 1770. After such date it has been progressively replaced by the Model 1770 & 1777, all the rifles the corps used till then given back to be stored. When the American War of Independence started in 1776, France happened to have plenty of Model 1766 rifles and supplied large quantities to the United States of America Army. The Marquis de Lafayette personally delivered a gift of 25,000 of these rifles from the French Government to General Washington. This helped turn the tide of the American Revolution. As far for North America, this musket was also used (but with some modifications) by parts of Upper Canada's militia at the beginning of the War of 1812.
The French 1777 Model Infantry Musket was the last in a long line of modifications to the 1728 model French Infantry Musket. Some of the unique elements of this model are the finger ridges on the trigger guard, the brass frizzen, and the cheek piece carved in the stock's butt with a straighten frizzen cover and slightly different front band. The .66 calibre barrel is 44 3/4 inches long and the musket's total length is 60 inches. As for North America, it would have seen limited service in the later part of the American Revolution. This musket (but with an iron frizzen) was used by parts of Upper Canada's militia at the beginning of the War of 1812. This musket eventually saw service with Napoleon's infantry during the 1st Empire.
As the United States established its own arsenals at Harper's Ferry and Springfield in the early 1800's, the French design was evident as the ancestor of all American designs through the percussion era and ending with the Civil War 1861 and 1863 models.
Sidenotes:
There is a Charleville in Ireland
Charleville situated in the heart of the Golden Vale, halfway between the major Irish cities of Cork and Limerick.
Charleville was founded in 1661 by Roger Boyle, Baron Broghill and first Earl of Orrery.
The name ‘Charleville’ is French for ‘Charles Town’.
Roger Boyle had been a supporter of Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War.
However, when King Charles II was restored in 1660, he had to prove his loyalty to the crown. He did this by naming Charleville after the English king.
1918 German capture of Charleville on the Meuse-Ardennes
Origins of the name BROWN BESS
One hypothesis is that the "Brown Bess" was named after Elizabeth I of England, but this lacks support.
Jonathan Ferguson, Firearms Curator of the Royal Armouries, traces the name to at least the 1760s, and his research suggests the name was adopted from slang for a mistress, prostitute, or lowly woman who also appear in period sources referred to as "Brown Bess". He writes, "'Bess' was a generic and sometimes derogatory name, a bit like 'Sheila' in modern Australian English", and "brown" simply meant plain or drab. Ferguson discounts, with evidence, many of the other theories previously popular.[9]
Early uses of the term include the newspaper, the Connecticut Courant in April 1771, which said: "... but if you are afraid of the sea, take Brown Bess on your shoulder and march." This familiar use indicates widespread use of the term by that time. The 1785 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, a contemporary work that defined vernacular and slang terms, contained this entry: "Brown Bess: A soldier's firelock. To hug Brown Bess; to carry a fire-lock, or serve as a private soldier." Military and government records of the time do not use this poetical name but refer to firelocks, flintlock, muskets or by the weapon's model designations.
So far, the earliest use noted of the term "Brown Bess" was in a 1631 publication, John Done's Polydoron: or A Mescellania of Morall, Philosophicall, and Theological Sentences, page 152:
Things profferd and easie to come by, diminish themselves in reputation & price: for how full of pangs and dotage is a wayling lover, for it may be some browne bessie? But let a beautie fall a weeping, overpressed with the sicke passion; she favours in our thoughts, something Turnbull.
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