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| Trevor with his Brown Bess Musket |
It’s a 75 caliber smooth board.
It is the type of musket used in service with the British
and Colonial Forces from between 1680 and 1839 (approx.)
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| A close-up of the Brown Bess Musket and a cartridge |
The cartridge is
filled with 75 grains of black gun powder.
It would have been wrapped using the equivalent of modern
day newsprint.
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| A second close-up, this one showing only the cartridge |
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| Setting the hammer on the half-cock or safety position |
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| Trevor biting the edge off of the cartridge |
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| Trevor sprinkles the powder in the priming pan |
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| The powder in the priming pan |
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| Trevor closes the frizzon |
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| Trevor pours the remaining powder down the barrel. At this point, in combat, you would also place a 75 caliber bullet down the barrel. (We did not do this!) |
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| Trevor wads the cartridge paper and put it down the barrel |
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| This is called ramming it home |
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| An up-close shot of Trevor ramming it home |
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| At the order of ready, you cock the hammer |
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| The next order is aim |
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| “FIRE!” |
Trevor Merriam is the Premises Assistant at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. He has been working at the Museum for 10 years and has a passion for history.