M1752 Musket

M1752 musket
TypeMusket
Place of originKingdom of Spain
Service history
In serviceSpanish army 1752–1850s
Used bySpanish Empire, various indigenous peoples of the Americas, United States of America, Haiti, Mexico
WarsIndian Wars, Seven Years' War, Anglo-Spanish War, Invasion of Portugal, American Revolutionary war, Spanish-Portuguese War, Haitian Revolution, French Revolutionary Wars, War of the Pyrenees, Anglo-Spanish War, War of the Oranges, Saint-Domingue expedition, Napoleonic Wars, Peninsular War, Bolivian War of Independence, Venezuelan War of Independence, Argentine War of Independence, Mexican War of Independence, Chilean War of Independence, Spanish reconquest of New Granada, Ecuadorian War of Independence, Spanish reconquest attempts in Mexico, French invasion of Spain, Portuguese Civil War, First Carlist War, Mexican–American War, Second Carlist War, Cochinchina Campaign, Hispano-Moroccan War, Dominican Restoration War, Chincha Islands War, Ten Years' War
Production history
Designed1752
ManufacturerState Arsenals—Spain
Produced1752–19th century
VariantsModel 1752, Model 1755, Model 1757
Specifications
Mass10.80 lb (4.90 kg)
Length57.09 in (1,450 mm)
Barrel length43.31 in (1,100 mm)
CartridgePaper cartridge, musket ball undersized to reduce the effects of powder fouling
Calibre.69 (17.526 mm)[1]
ActionFlintlock/percussion lock (conversion)
Rate of fireUser dependent; usually 2 to 3 rounds every one minute
Effective firing rangeAround 47 yards
Feed systemMuzzle-loaded
SightsA front sight cast into the upper barrel band

The M1752 Musket was a muzzle-loading firearm invented in 1752 and used by the Spanish Army from then until it was widely replaced by the much more effective Minié rifles during the mid-19th century. The M1752 was the first standardized long gun utilized by the Spanish military and was deployed in Spain's American colonies, where it saw action during the Battle of Havana. Spain also provided around 10,000 up to 12,000 muskets to the American rebels during the Revolutionary War.[2][3]

Proving typically conventional for the period, the weapon maintained a long service life under the Spanish crown and was deployed to its various frontline forces across the various Spanish holdings. The Model 1752 was in widespread circulation up until the middle of the 1850s by which time more and more fighting forces were adopting more modern Minié ball-long guns (categorized as "rifled muskets").

The M1752 saw some later modifications in 1755 and 1757.

The Model 1752 Musket featured design qualities associated with this period of land-based warfare (in general line infantry)—these were long, heavy guns made primarily with a single-piece wooden stock housing the steel barrel and works of the gun lock. As muzzle-loading weapons, they were loaded down the muzzle end of the gun which necessitated use of a ramrod held in a channel in the stock under the barrel. The stock was affixed to the barrel at multiple points, usually two brass barrel bands and a nose cap at front and which had a ramrod pipe cast to it. The firing mechanism was of the flintlock method requiring a piece of flint to be seated in a vice and cocked rearwards prior to firing. Additional steps included the loading of black powder both into the pan and down the barrel, prior to inserting the rest of the ammunition consisting of both a musket ball and paper cartridge which also doubled as wadding. The wooden stock incorporated a slightly angled grip that extended downwards to become the shoulder support (or shoulder stock), capped with a metal butt plate. Fixtures along the top of the barrel allowed the gun to be aimed. The trigger was set within an oblong ring (trigger guard) under the action as normal. While the rest of the musket outwardly resembled other muskets of the 18th Century, the lock was unique, being of the characteristic Spanish "Miquelet" type. This action reworked some of the accepted design practices of the flintlock—mainly at the mainspring and hammer (or cock).[4] Eventually, many were converted from flintlock to percussion cap in the mid-19th century.

Variants

Model 1752

Original series model; pattern of 1752.

Model 1755

Modified pattern of 1752 .

Model 1757

Modified pattern of 1752.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://therifleshoppe.com/catalog_pages/spanish_arms/%28622%29.htm
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2013-01-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Troiani, D.; Kochan, J. (2007). Don Troiani's Soldiers of the American Revolution. Stackpole Books. p. 138. ISBN 9780811733236. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  4. ^ "Model 1752 (Spanish)".