Error creating thumbnail: File missing Modern reproduction of 17th Century English Doglock Musket, predecessor of the Brown Bess musket.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Modern reproduction "Long Land Pattern" Brown Bess Infantry musket made from 1722-1768 - .75 caliber.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Original "Short Land Pattern" Brown Bess musket made 1768-1805 - .75 caliber
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Original "India Pattern" Brown Bess musket made 1805-1840 - .75 caliber
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Modern reproduction Brown Bess Carbine - .75 caliber
The British Long Land Pattern musket, nicknamed the "Brown Bess" , was a smoothbore flintlock musket that was standard-issue with the British Army throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, including the French and Indian / 7 Years War, the American War of Independence and the Napoleonic Wars.
For the purposes of this page, "Brown Bess" refers collectively to any of the British Land Pattern Muskets of 1722-1883, which include the Long Land Pattern, Short Land Pattern, Sea Service Pattern, India Pattern, New Land Pattern and New Light Infantry Land Pattern Cavalry Carbine.
N.B. Virtually all Brown Bess Flintlock Muskets seen in films or television productions are modern reproductions, due to historical specimens being highly expensive and unsafe to fire due to age- or conservation-related concerns.
Specifications
Weight: 10.5 pounds (4.8 kg)
Length: 58.5 inches (1,490 mm)
Barrel length: 42 inches (1,100 mm)
Cartridge: 0.71 inches (18 mm) lead ball, undersized to reduce the effects of powder fouling.
Caliber: 0.75 inches (19 mm)
Capacity: 1
Action: Flintlock
Rate of fire: User-dependent; usually 2-3 rounds a minute
Muzzle velocity: Variable
Effective range: Variable (50-100 yards)
Feed system: Muzzle-loaded
Fire Modes: Single Shot
The Brown Bess Flintlock Musket and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
Title
Actor
Character
Note
Date
Jánošík
Brigands
1921
Treasure Island (Ostrov sokrovishch)
Irish rebels
1937
Blackbeard, the Pirate
Don House
Soldier
1952
Chuck Roberson
Soldier
British soldiers
The Spessart Inn
Ralf Wolter
Brigand
1958
The Devil's Disciple
Burt Lancaster
Rev. Anthony Anderson
1959
George Rose
British sergeant
British soldiers, rebels
Kidnapped
British soldiers, Assassin
1960
Burn!
British soldiers
1969
Apaches (Apachen)
Johnson's men, Mexican soldiers and townsmen
1973
Blazing Saddles
Two Arabian Bad Guys
1974
The Duellists
French soldiers
1975
Barry Lyndon
Ryan O'Neal
Redmont Barry
1975
British and Prussian soldiers
Blue Bird (Blauvogel)
Kurt Böwe
John Ruster
1979
Jan Spitzer
Andrew
Gheorghe Patru
Raccoon
British and French soldiers, settlers, Iroquois warriors
Trail of the Pink Panther
Seen in Clouseau's apartment
1982
The Bounty
Richard Graham
Mills
1984
British soldiers and seamen
Revolution
Al Pacino
Tom Dobb
1985
Donald Sutherland
Sgt. Maj. Peasy
British troops
The Mission
Liam Neeson
Fielding
1986
Spanish and Portuguese soldiers
Shipwrecked
Pirates
1990
Journey of Honor
Kane Kosugi
Yorimune
1991
Shô Kosugi
Daigoro Mayeda
Norman Lloyd
Father Vasco
Spanish and Japanese soldiers
The Last of the Mohicans
Russell Means
Chingachgook
1992
Eric Schweig
Uncas
Wes Studi
Magua
British and French infantry, Hurons and Mohicans
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Walker's men
1993
Red Rock West
Seen in Sheriff Wayne's office
1993
Kidnapped
Don Wycherley
Rory
1995
Brian McGrath
James Stewart of The Glen
James men and women, British soldiers
Get Shorty
Men dressed as Revolutionary War soldiers
1995
Cutthroat Island
Geena Davis
Morgan Adams
1995
Stan Shaw
Glaspool
Rex Linn
Blair
English soldiers
Rob Roy
Tim Roth
Archibald Cunningham
1995
Highland Regiment
Bad Moon
Sherpa guides
1996
Amistad
Royal Marines
1997
Almost Heroes
Bokeem Woodbine
Jonah
1998
American soldiers
The Mask of Zorro
Mexican soldiers
1998
Hornblower: The Even Chance
Robert Lindsay
Captain Edward Pellew
1998
Royal Marines
Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant
Ioan Gruffudd
Acting Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower
1998
Paul Copley
Matthews
Royal Marines
Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil
Royal Navy seamen
1999
Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters
British and French Royalist soldiers
1999
Sleepy Hollow
Mark Spalding
Jonathan Masbath
1999
Marc Pickering
Young Masbath
Casper Van Dien
Brom Van Brunt
Soldiers
Anna and the King
Randall Duk Kim
General Alak
1999
Soldiers
Plunkett and Macleane
Thief-takers
1999
The Patriot
British soldiers
2000
Tiger Head (Cabeza de Tigre)
Argentinean revolutionary soldiers
2001
Hornblower: Mutiny
Royal Marines
2001
Hornblower: Retribution
Gilly Gilchrist
Randall
2001
Royal Marines, Royal Navy seamen, rebelling Spanish prisoners
Hornblower: Loyalty
Greg Wise
Major Côtard
2003
Royal Marines
Hornblower: Duty
Royal Marines
2003
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Chris Larkin
Captain Howard
2003
British Marines
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Orlando Bloom
Will Turner
2003
Keira Knightley
Elizabeth Swann
British soldiers and pirates
Fanfan la Tulipe
French and British soldiers
2003
Bell Witch Haunting
Doug Moore
John Bell
2004
Asa Wiggins
Richard Bell
The Alamo
The Mexican Army
2004
The Legend of Zorro
Soldiers, McGivens' men
2005
An American Haunting
Donald Sutherland
John Bell
2005
Thom Fell
John Bell Jr.
James D'Arcy
Richard Powell
Oliver Twist
Policemen
2005
Pirates of Treasure Island
Seen on the wall
2006
Alatriste
Eduardo Noriega
Conde de Guadalmedina
2006
Simon Cohen
King Philip IV of Spain
Goya's Ghosts
Stellan Skarsgård
Francisco Goya
2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
British soldiers
2006
The Sovereign's Servant (Sluga Gosudarev)
Nikolay Chindyaykin
The Inn owner
2007
Aleksey Chadov
Angie
Swedish and Russian soldiers
My Name Is Bruce
A townsman
2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
East India Trading Company soldiers
2007
The Young Victoria
British soldiers
2009
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Johnny Depp
Jack Sparrow
2011
British soldiers
47 Ronin
Keanu Reeves
Kai
2013
Dutch sailors
Hot Tub Time Machine 2
Rob Corddry
Lou Dorchen
2015
In the Heart of the Sea
Chris Hemsworth
Owen Chase
2015
Cillian Murphy
Matthew Joy
The Revenant
Domhnall Gleeson
Andrew Henry
Carbine
2015
Leonardo DiCaprio
Hugh Glass
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Douglas Booth
Mr. Bingley
2016
British soldiers
Black '47
Barry Keoghan
Private Hobson
Percussion Cap
2018
James Frecheville
Martin Feeney
Carbine
Hugo Weaving
Hannah
Irish Police
British soldiers
Percussion Cap
Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask
Russian soldiers
2019
Prey
French trappers
Anachronistic
2022
Napoleon (2023)
British soldiers
2023
Television
Show Title
Actor
Character
Note / Episode
Air Date
Jamaica Inn
Soldiers, wreckers
1983
The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
Seen in weapon collection; "A Man Lay Dead" (S01E01)
1993
Sharpe's Rifles
British Army soldiers
1993
Sharpe's Enemy
British Army soldiers
1994
Sharpe's Company
British Army soldiers
1994
The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson
Kieren Hutchison
Ernst Robinson
1998
Richard Thomas
David Robinson
Margo Gunn
Elizabeth Robinson
Junior Chile
Billy
K.C. Kelly
Jed Parsons
Gareth Howells
Ben Thomas
Blackbeard
British marines, soldiers and pirates
2006
Lock 'n Load With R. Lee Ermey
Gunny
2009
Sleepy Hollow
2013
Salem
W.M. Bacon
soldier
"The Vow" (S1E01)
2014
Michael Sieve
soldier
"Ashes to Ashes" (S1E12)
Michael P Gardner
vigilant
"All Fall Down" (S1E13)
soldiers, prison guards, guardians vigilantes
Black Sails
Shaun Acker
Mr Beauclerk
(S01E05)
2014-2015
Two men of the Scarborough
(S01E01)
Hakeem Kae-Kazim
Mr. Scott
Walrus crewmember
Turn: Washington's Spies - Season 1
Seth Numrich
Ben Tallmadge
(S1E03)
2014
British and Continental Army soldiers
Turn: Washington's Spies - Season 2
Samuel Roukin
Capt. John Simcoe
(S2E06)
2015
British, Hessian, and Continental Army soldiers
Turn: Washington's Spies - Season 3
Samuel Roukin
Capt. John Simcoe
(S3E03)
2016
Seth Numrich
Ben Tallmadge
(S3E08)
British, Hessian, and Continental Army soldiers
Salem
Shane West
Captain John Alden
2016-2017
Emily Skeggs
Billy
Owen Harn
Militia Leader
"After the Fall" (S3E01)
Perry Hinson
Militia Man
"After the Fall" (S3E01)
Soldiers, Militia
Turn: Washington's Spies - Season 4
Aldis Hodge
Akinbode
(S4E03)
2017
Jamie Bell
Abraham Woodhull
(S4E06, E07, E08)
British, Hessian, and Continental Army soldiers
Taboo
Tom Hardy
James Keziah Delaney
2017
Always a Witch (Siempre Bruja) - Season 2
Spanish soldiers
"Someone Like Me" (S2E01)
2020
Video Games
Animation
Anime