Brown Bess or Charleville?

[KillerMongoose]

Which of these two famous muskets would you say is a superior weapon? Discuss!

[Archduke Sven]

Charleville 1777 and the later Charleville Year XI model. This was the best made musket in Europe at the time, finely crafted with details such as a cheek bump on the stock for better aiming.

In the American Revolutionary War the Americans used both muskets and they said they preffered the Charleville due to its better manufacture but they did like the brown bess for its larger slug.

In my eyes they are both terrific weapons, the Charleville taking the French from Moscow to Madrid and the Bessy taking the British from Canada to India.

[Duuring]

I believe the rings of the Charleville might it a lot stronger and better against rough field treatment. Plus, it was longer (more reach in hand-to-hand) and just so much more shiny!

[Hekko]

Brown bess, since the Charleville has the bayonet off-set upwards making aming with the bayonet already attached trickier.

[KillerMongoose]

Is it true that the charleville has a tighter bore in its barrel?

[Millander]

Enfield 1853!

[König]

Enfield 1853!

[Duuring]

I think it's rather amusing, that in Napoleonic era we have the Brown bess Vs. Charleville, and in the ACW era, Enfield (British) vs Springfield (Charleville copy).

Things don't change, do they?

[Docm30]

Brown bess, since the Charleville has the bayonet off-set upwards making aming with the bayonet already attached trickier.

The upwards angle was so slight it couldn't have affected one's aim.

Anyway, the M1777 was pretty well universally regarded as the best musket in Europe. The only real advantage the brown bess had over the M1777 (bear in mind that 'Charleville' only properly refers to the pre-1777 models) was the larger bore, which allowed the British to use French ammunition, but not the other way around.

[OGNValjean]

The Charlesville, tested and Proven by American Frontiersmen.
Brown Bess, lol wut you didn't even stay the same pattern for two wars (Long/Short Pattern~Revolutionary, Indian Pattern~Napoleonic)

[Docm30]

I'm pretty sure it was better tested by some of the (then) largest wars in history than the American frontier.

[KillerMongoose]

Is it true that the charleville has a tighter bore in its barrel?

[TheBoberton]

Yes. The Charleville was .69 calibre, whilst the Brown Bess was .71

A miniscule difference, but enough to render the former unable to use the latter's cartridges.
As to which weapon I view as better;

I have to go with the Charleville, despite the ammunition issues, simply because it would be easier to maintain, and would be less likely to fall apart when you beat someone over the head with it. (Pinned vs. Banded barrel)

[Archduke Sven]

Yes. The Charleville was .69 calibre, whilst the Brown Bess was .71

A miniscule difference, but enough to render the former unable to use the latter's cartridges.
As to which weapon I view as better;

I have to go with the Charleville, despite the ammunition issues, simply because it would be easier to maintain, and would be less likely to fall apart when you beat someone over the head with it. (Pinned vs. Banded barrel)

I think .71 is the size of the actual bullet, i think the bore was actually .75

[Duuring]

Which is why the Dutch King decided the Charleville would become the standard weapon for the Dutch army.

Though, the entire Dutch army fought the Waterloo campaign with Brown besses.