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Caption: British Brunswick percussion lock rifled musket, with sword-bayonet, 1838-1854

The Brunswick rifle was introduced as a replacement for the famous Baker rifle of the Napoleonic Wars. It fired a 'belted' ball - a spherical bullet with a raised band around the equator. A similar system was used by troops in the German duchy of Brunswick, hence the name given to the British weapon. The Brunswick rifle was more accurate at long range than the Baker, but was more difficult to load. Introduced in 1838, it was the first percussion lock weapon used by the British army. Percussion locks used a small copper cap holding fulminate of mercury to produce a spark that fires the weapon. This makes it possible to fire even when it is raining - something difficult with flintlock rifles. The photo shows the rifle with its sword bayonet fixed to the muzzle. With its long blade, this type of bayonet gave a rifleman the same reach as a man using a musket and standard bayonet. (Parks Canada)