The musket is the first mass-use firearm. For the first time, the Spaniards used muskets in a battle with the French back in 1515. The effectiveness of a weapon that pierced through enemy armor was undeniable.
The device of the musketMuskets consisted of a valley barrel (up to 140 cm) and a short butt, in which a cutout was made for the thumb. The weight of the weapon reached 7 kg. Often the shooter had to put the musket barrel on a special stand - a buffet table. The high recoil did not allow the musket to be pressed to the shoulder, it was held in weight, only slightly leaning against the cheek while aiming. The charge was ignited by means of a smoldering wick, pressed by the trigger against the shelf with gunpowder. Initially, the hammer was a long lever located under the butt. But over time, the device of the musket has undergone changes, and the trigger began to be made in the form of a short trigger. The loading of the weapon was carried out through the muzzle. Shooting from muskets The need to reload the musket after each shot led to a special formation of soldiers and the sequence of firing. Soldiers with weapons (musketeers) lined up in a special way - rectangular squares 10-12 rows deep; firing a volley, the front row retreated back, giving way to the next. While the front row was firing, the back row was loading the weapon. Firing the musket and loading the weapon was very difficult. The Musketeers did it strictly on command. Even special books were published, in which the positions when reloading a musket were illustrated. Muskets in the Russian army In the Russian army, muskets appeared in the 17th century. At the beginning of the 18th century, along with the musketeers, in Russia there are Fuseler infantry units armed with flint guns (fuzei). During the reform of 1715, muskets in the Russian army were completely replaced by fuzei; Musket regiments are renamed Fuseller regiments. In 1756. the name "musket" was assigned to the fusées, and the parts became musketeers again. In 1786, the infantry's small arms received the name "gun", and in 1811 the musketeer units were renamed to the infantry.