Brown Bess vs Charleville

The Brown Bess and Charleville are hallmarks of the Napoleonic period. Anyone who is at all familiar with the great struggle between Napoleon, Nelson and Wellington will undoubtedly be familiar already with the two firearms that conquered Europe and beyond. We at Henry Krank are proud to be stockists of the best quality Indian reproductions of the Brown Bess and Charleville muskets, and we're proud to continue keeping the history of these two iconic firearms alive.

The India Pattern Brown Bess, Napoleon's foil

The Brown Bess Flintlock Muzzle Loading Musket is an iconic British firearm, in service from 1722 until 1838. The large calibre .75 musket saw service across the world during the formative years of the British Empire and was used by British forces and others right across the world.

One of our best selling muskets, our Indian reproduction of the India Pattern Brown Bess is the definitive model of them all. The most well recognized of all Brown Bess patterns, the India Pattern fits well in any reenactment of the period but is nevertheless well made and an excellent shooter. Perfect for target shooting, re enactment or even clay pigeon shooting, the India Pattern Brown Bess is a fantastic piece of military history.

For a more in depth review of the Brown Bess read our blog: Shooting With A Repro Brown Bess

The Charleville Model 1777, backbone of a revolution

Quite literally on the other side of the fence is the Charleville Model 1777 Flintlock Muzzle Loading Musket. Mainstay of the French forces during the French revolution and subsequent Napoleonic Wars, the Charleville musket was pitted against the Brown Bess on countless occasions.

Of smaller bore, .69 to the Brown Bess's .75, the Charleville musket is an excellent gun to use and fire. Our reproduction Charleville Model 1777 is another quality Indian reproduction and is one of our most popular muzzle loading muskets. As the standard issue long arm for French forces of the period, the Charleville musket is at home in any reenactment of the period and is a faithful reproduction of the original musket. Longer and heavier than the Brown Bess, but of smaller bore, makes the Charleville an excellent musket to shoot, and is excellent for short to medium range target shooting.