British Military Longarms

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Musketry instruction and the Hythe School of Musketry are discussed further within: Military Marksmanship. See also: Ammunition.

Muskets

  • Pattern 1838 Musket – The “Musket, Rank and File for Foot Guards”, the first percussion musket to be issued in quantity to British soldiers.

Carbines

Rifles

  • Brunswick – This curious arm with its two-groove bore and belted bullet remained in the hands of Regulars, Militia and Native troops for almost half a century.

Muskets, Carbines and Rifles – 1853 and beyond

  • Enfield – The family of British Service Rifles and Carbines introduced during the 1850’s and 1860’s in 0.577 calibre marked the culmination of the soldiers’ muzzle loading firearm.
  • Snider-Enfield – The breech loading conversion of the muzzle loading Enfield rifle.
  • Martini Arms – Martini arms in British service: Martini-Henry, Martini-Enfield, Martini-Metford.
  • Lee Magazine Rifles – The British Service Lee: Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield rifles and carbines.

Small Arms Trials

  • Small Arms Trials – Reports on individual arms and wider trials of British military small arms.

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Measuring Precision

The 19th saw firearms evolve from flintlock muzzle loaders, using patched round ball and black powder, through to bolt action breech loaders with smokeless powders. As firearms development proceeded, so arms and ammunition needed assessing in comparative trials by the military. In the 1860s the National Rifle Association held competitive trials to determine which rifle would be used in the final stage of the Queen’s Prize at their Annual Rifle Meetings on Wimbledon Common. The system used to measure precision of rifled arms at this time was the “Figure of Merit”.

P.53 Enfield Production Markings

It is intended that this synopsis of Enfield production markings will help answer some common questions, with regards to identifying British government arms. A government rifle will NOT carry the commercial marks of the London or Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof Houses with their usual marks and double 25 bore size marks. To be a government rifle ALL the appropriate marks must be present.

Pattern 1841 Carbine

Introducing a quite rare British longarm: The Pattern 1841 Royal Sappers & Miners, &/or Royal Artillery Carbine. This comes from the design of George Lovell and is the ultimate smoothbore. The 30 inch barrel is in the new Reduced Bore of .733, a reduction of .020 from the Regulation .753 of the Infantry Musket but intended to still use the same cartridge loaded with a ball of .685.