A historic weapons demonstration at Cowpens National Battlefield. NPS photo.
Cavalry weapons
An 18th-century pistol. NPS photo.
Pistol
- An important cavalry weapon, often in short supply for both British and American dragoons.
- Usually .56 to .72 caliber, with 9- to 14-inch barrels and a very short accurate range.
- Meant for close combat, and carried in a holster at the front of the saddle for quick reach.
- British, American, French, Dutch and German models were used by both sides.
An 18th-century carbine. NPS photo.
Carbine
- The usual arm of British and American light dragoons; artillery units and light infantry carried them too.
- Shorter than an infantry musket, firing a .62 to .72 caliber ball, accurate to about 75 to 150 yards.
- Slung over the shoulder on a leather strap, making it easier to carry while riding, dismounting and firing.
- British, French, American, Dutch and German models were used by both armies. Carbines were hard to get, so some units cut down infantry muskets instead.
Infantry weapons
18th-century small arms. NPS photo.
| Flintlock rifle | Smoothbore flintlock musket | |
|---|---|---|
| Who used it | mainly a civilian weapon, in service throughout the war, in many varieties | the standard infantry weapon of the Revolution |
| Key feature | rifling grooves that spin the bullet for more range and accuracy | best known as the British Land Pattern ("Brown Bess") and the French Charleville; many Spanish, Dutch, German and American muskets too |
| Range | skilled riflemen could hit targets at 300 yards | usually .69–.75 caliber, accurate at 75–150 yards |
| Drawback / rate | expensive to make; nearly a full minute to reload | could fire 3–4 times a minute |
Artillery
A Grasshopper cannon. NPS photo.
The "Grasshopper"
- In 1770, Jan and Pieter Verbruggen transformed British artillery by mass-producing the 3-pounder "Grasshopper."
- Effective to about 800 yards, it fired solid shot or anti-personnel grapeshot and canister.
- Light and maneuverable, it was sometimes placed with infantry for close support.
- 98 were made and shipped to the American colonies during the Revolution; many were captured and turned on the British by American forces.
A swivel gun. NPS photo.
Swivel gun
- A small cannon, with a bore about 1½ inches across, on a rotating mount.
- A handle on the breech let the gunner swing it quickly to a new target.
- Fired shot, canister and grapeshot.
- Small and light, it could go where bigger guns couldn't; in hard-to-reach places it was mostly fired from fortified positions against infantry.
Sources
Based on "Black Powder Weapons of the Southern Campaign," Cowpens National Battlefield, Kings Mountain National Military Park, Ninety Six National Historic Site and Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
In these publicationsCowpens National BattlefieldKings Mountain National Military ParkNinety Six National Historic SiteOvermountain Victory National Historic Trail
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.nps.gov
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