Firearms of the American Revolution

Firing the Flintlock Musket

• Place the rifle on "half cock" (Safety) and open the pan by pushing the "frizzen" forward
• Reach into the cartridge box and grab a single cartridge (These are twisted paper tubes with enough powder and ball for one shot)
• Bite the cartridge open
• Prime (Place some powder in the pan of the lock) Close the frizzen. Leave rifle at half cock
• Charge with powder (Pour the remaining powder down the muzzle of the barrel) then insert the paper wrapped ball. This ball was NOT patched for speed in loading.
• Draw rammer (Pull the ramrod from the stock)
• Ram Push the ball and paper ALL THE WAY DOWN until it is resting firmly on top of the powder
• Return Rammer (Replace the rod in the stock)
• The rifle is now LOADED. HANDLE WITH CARE DUE A LOADED WEAPON. (elapsed time: 15 seconds)
• Make ready (Bring the hammer to "full cock")
• Fire (squeeze trigger)