Firing a Flintlock

Take Care

On the giving of this command, there must be a profound silence observed through the whole battalion; nor must any of the soldiers make any motion with their heads, bodies, hands, or feet, but such as are required for the performing of the following words of command.

I. Join Your Right Hands to Your Firelocks.
One Motion

The firelock being carried in the forementioned position upon the left shoulder, you must turn the lock upward with your left hand, and at the same time taking hold with your right behind the cock, placing the thumb on the lower part of the stock, and the fingers on the upper, keeping both elbows square, that is, in an equal line, but not constrained; as is frequently done by raising them above the level. The muzzle of the firelock must be kept at the same height as it was when shouldered.

Note, the first motion of every word of command is to be performed immediately after it is given; but before you proceed to any of the other motions, you must count, one, two, pretty slowly, by making a stop between the words; and on the pronouncing of the word two, the motion is to be performed.

II. Poise Your Firelocks.
One Motion

At this word of command, with both hands and a quick motion bring up the firelock from your shoulder, thrusting it from you at the same time with your right hand (and letting your left fall down your left side) turning the lock outward, the thumb inward, directly opposite to your face, and your feet in the same position as when you shouldered.

III. Join Your Right Hands to Your Firelocks.
Two Motions

Turn the firelock with the barrel toward you, and at the same time, seize it with the left hand just above the lock, so that the little finger may touch it, holding the firelock with both hands, and extending your arms as much as you can without constraint; then count one, two, and with a quick motion bring the firelock down to your right side, the butt end as low as the middle of your thigh, the muzzle pointing a little forward, the stock in the left hand with the thumb upward, your right on the cock, the forefinger before the trigger, and the others behind the guard. At the same time that you bring down the firelock, you must step a little back with your right foot, the toe pointing to the right, the right knee stiff, and the left a little bending, keeping your body very straight. The firelock must be held on the right side at a little distance from the body, and both the body and face must present themselves to the front as much as possible without constraint.

IV. Cock Your Firelocks.
Two Motions

Bring up the firelock with both hands before you, keeping your thumb on the cock, and the forefinger on the trigger; and at the same time bring up the right foot, placing the heel within a half foot of the hollow of the left, and the toe pointing to the right. The firelock must be brought up close to the breast, that you may bend the cock with the more ease at the second motion; then count one, two, and cock, and at the same time thrust the firelock briskly from you with both hands directly before the center of your body, keeping the muzzle upright.

V. Present.
One Motion

In presenting, take away your thumb from the cock, and move your right foot a little back, the toe turned a little to the right, the body to the front, and place the butt end in the hollow between your breast and shoulder, keeping your forefinger before the trigger (but without touching it) and the other three behind the guard, the elbows in an equal line (which is called square) the head upright, the body straight, only pressed a little forward against the butt end of the firelock, the right knee stiff, and the left a little bending: the muzzle should be a little lower than the butt, in order to take aim at the center of the body.

VI. Fire

As soon as this word of command is given, draw the trigger briskly with the forefinger, which was placed on it before; and though the cock should not go down with that pull, you are not to attempt it a second time, being only to draw the trigger but once at exercise.

VII. Recover Your Arms.
One Motion

Bring up the firelock with a quick motion before you, placing the right heel near the hollow of the left foot; observing the same position of hands, body and firelock, as is directed by the second motion in explanation IV.

VIII. Half-Cock Your Firelocks.
Two Motions

Bring the firelock close to your breast and half bend the cock; then count one, two, and thrust it from you with both hands to the former position.

IX. Handle Your Primers.
Three Motions

Fall back quick with the right foot behind the left at a moderate pace distance, placing the heels in a line with one another, the left toe pointing directly to the front, and the right toward the right of the rank, the left knee bending a little to the front, and keeping the right knee stiff; at the same time bringing down your firelock with both hands to a level, the muzzle pointing directly to the front. Count one, two, and quitting the firelock with the right hand, take hold of the primer, placing your thumb on the springcover. Count again one, two, and bring it within a hand's breadth of the pan.

X. Prime.
Two Motions

Hold the firelock firm in the left hand, and with the right turn up the primer and shake as much powder into the pan as is necessary. Then count one, two, and bring it back to its former place behind the butt, and remain in that posture until the following word of command.

XI. Shut Your Pans.
Four Motions

Let fall the primer and take hold of the steel with the right hand, placing the thumb on the upper part and the two forefingers on the lower. Count one, two, and shut the pan. Count one, two, and seize the firelock behind the lock with the right hand. Then count one, two, and bring your firelock to a recover, as in explanation VII.

XII. Cast About to Charge.
Two Motions

Turn the firelock with both hands until the barrel comes outward; then count one, two, and let go the right hand, bringing down the firelock with the left, take hold of the muzzle with the right hand, stepping one pace forward at the same time with the right foot, though not directly before the left, but placed a little to the right, that the body may present itself the better to the front. This motion must be performed in such a manner that the bringing down of the firelock, stepping forward with the right foot, and taking hold of the muzzle be done at the same instant of time. Hold the barrel downward in a full hand, placing the right thumb upwards near the rammer, keeping the body straight, and the right knee a little bent, holding the firelock with outstretched arms directly before your body, the muzzle standing to the front.

XIII. Handle Your Cartridges.
Three Motions

Bring the firelock with both hands straight to your body; count one, two, and quit the firelock with your right hand (holding it with your left about the middle in a balance, the muzzle pointing a little forward) and at the same time take hold of one of your cartridges; then count one, two, and bring it within an inch of the side of the muzzle, the thumb upward.

XIV. Open Your Cartridges.
Two Motions

Bring the cartridge to your mouth and bite off the top; then count one, two, and bring it again to the former place near the muzzle.

XV. Charge with Cartridge.
Four Motions

Bring the cartridge just above the muzzle, and turning up the hand and elbow, fix it in it at the same time; then count one, two, and slap your two fingers briskly on the cartridge to put it quite into the barrel, and remain so with your right elbow square, until the following command.

XVI. Draw Your Rammers.
Four Motions

Seize the rammer with the forefinger and thumb of the right hand, holding the thumb upward; count one, two, and draw it out as far as you can reach; count one, two, and take hold of it close to the stock, turning the thumb downwards; then count one, two, and draw it quite out, holding it between the thumb and the two forefingers, the arm stretched out and in a level with the right shoulder, the small end of the rammer toward you and the other in a direct line to the front.

XVII. Shorten Your Rammers.
Three Motions

Move the little finger, which supports the rammer, and turn it briskly with the thick end downward, holding it full in your right hand, the thumb upward, keeping your arm stretched out in a line with your shoulder. Count one, two, and place the thick end against the lower part of your breast; then count one, two, and slip your hand down the rammer within a hand's breadth of the lower end, keeping it in a line with the barrel, the thumb upward, and the elbow turned a little out from the body.

XVIII. Put Them in the Barrels.
Six Motions

Bring the rammer a little above the muzzle, and place the thick end on the cartridge; count one, two, and thrust down the cartridge as far as your hand will permit; count one, two, raise your hand, and seize the rammer about the middle; count one, two, and thrust it down until your hand touches the muzzle; count one, two, and seize it again at the top. Then count one, two, and thrust it down as far as it will go, holding the rammer fast in your hand, with the thumb upwards.

XIX. Ram Down Your Charge.
Two Motions

Draw the rammer as far out as your arm unforced will permit; then count one, two, and ram down the cartridge with a moderate force, but a quick motion, holding your rammer as before.

XX. Recover Your Rammers.
Three Motions

Draw the rammer with a quick motion, until half of it be out of the barrel; count one, two, quit the rammer and seize it close to the muzzle with the hand turned, the thumb downward; then count one, two, and draw it quite out of the barrel, holding it with the thick end towards your shoulder, observing the same position as in explanation XVI.

XXI. Shorten Your Rammers.
Three Motions

Turn the small end of the rammer down; count one, two, and place it against your breast. Then count one, two, and slip your hand down the rammer until it comes within a foot of your breast, observing further as in explanation XVII.

XXII. Return Your Rammers.
Six Motions

Bring the small end of the rammer, with a gentle turn, under the barrel, and place it in the stock; count one, two, and thrust it in as far as your hand will permit; count one, two, raise your hand, and seize the rammer in the middle; count one, two, and thrust it down again until your hand touches the muzzle; count one, two, raise your hand, and place the palm of it on the upper end of the rammer; then count one, two, and thrust it quite down.

XXIII. Your Right Hands under the Lock.
Four Motions

Hold the firelock firm to your breast with your left hand, and throw off your right, extending it in a line with your shoulder; count one, two, and take hold of the firelock with a full hand, placing the thumb even with the muzzle; count one, two, and thrust the firelock from you with both hands, observing the same position as is shown in the second motion in explanation XII. Then count one, two, and face on your left heel to the left, and turnig the muzzle up at the same time you are to seize the firelock under the cock with your right hand, keeping it from your body and your hands as low as your arms without constraint will permit.

XXIV. Poise Your Firelocks.
One Motion

Come briskly to your proper front, and at the same time bring the firelock before you with your right hand, letting your left fall down by your side, (extending the right arm, as in explanation II is directed) so that the bringing up of the firelock, letting the left hand fall, and the setting down of the right foot must be done at the same time.

XXV. Shoulder Your Firelocks.
Three Motions

Bring the firelock with the right hand opposite to the left shoulder, turning the barrel outward and the guard inward, keeping the muzzle straight up, and at the same time seize the butt end with your left hand, placing the thumb in the hollow thereof; count one, two, and bring the firelock with both hands down upon the left shoulder without moving your head, and keeping both elbows square. Then count one, two, and quit your right hand, letting it fall down your right side, and sinking your left elbow at the same time. Observe the posture as described in explanation I.

XXXVI. Rest on Your Arms.
Three Motions

Sink the firelock with your right hand as low as your arm without constraint will permit, seizing it at the same time with your left hand about the height of your chin, the left elbow turned out, and the muzzle upright. Count one, two, quit the firelock with your right hand, and sink it in a perpendicular line near the ground with your left, seizing it at the same time with your right hand near the muzzle. Then count one, two, and bring the butt to the ground, slipping your left hand at the same time up to your right, and keep your elbows square.

XXXVII. Draw Your Bayonets.
Two Motions

Seize your bayonet with your right hand; then count one, two, and draw it out briskly, extending your arm before you the height of your shoulder, holding the point of the bayonet upward, and your thumb on the hollow of the shank, that, when you fix it on the muzzle, the notch of the socket may come even with the sight of the barrel.

XXXVIII. Fix Your Bayonets.
Four Motions

Place the socket of the bayonet upon the muzzle of the firelock; count one, two, and thrust it down as far as the notch will permit you; count one, two, turn the bayonet from you, and fix it; then count one, two, quit the handle of the bayonet, and seize the firelock just under it with your right hand, placing the palm on the back of the left.

XXXIX. Rest Your Bayonets.
Three Motions

Raise the firelock with your right hand, in a perpendicular line as high as your forehead, and slipping down your left at the same time, seize the firelock about the middle of the barrel. Count one, two, quit the firelock with your right hand, and raise it with the left, turning the barrel toward you, and at the same time seize it with your right hand under the lock, observing the same position as directed by explanation VII. Then count one, two, and come to your rest, as in explanation III.

XL. Charge Your Bayonets Breast High.
Three Motions

Bring the firelock straight up before you as in the recover, with this difference, that you must turn the lock outward in the bringing of it up; count one, two, hold the firelock fast with the left hand, and clap the palm of the right on the butt end, the thumb and barrel pointing to the right. Then count one, two, fall back with the right foot a moderate pace, and in a direct line behind the left, and at the same time come to your charge, by bringing down the firelock to a level, and supporting it with your left arm by raising up your elbow from your body, the stock lying between the left thumb and forefinger, and the butt end in a full right hand, the thumb on the upper part of it with the barrel upward, and the bayonet pointing directly to the front about breast high. The right knee must be kept stiff, and the toe pointing directly to the right; but the left knee must bend a little forward, with that toe to the front.

XLI. Push Your Bayonets.
Two Motions

Push your firelock with both hands straight forward, without raising or sinking the point of the bayonet, bringing the butt end before the left breast; then count one, two, and bring it back to its former place.

XLII. Recover Your Arms.
Two Motions

Seize the firelock with your right hand behind the cock; then count one, two, and come to your recover, as in explanations IV and VII.

XLIII. Rest Your Bayonets on Your Left Arms.
Two Motions

Turn the lock to the front; then count one, two, and stepping with the right foot to the right, let go the left hand, sinking the firelock at the same time with the right, take hold of the cock and steel with the left, the cock lying on the middle finger, and the steel on the lower joint of the thumb, the under part of the stock resting on the bend or middle of the left arm, the barrel upward and the butt sloping downward toward the middle space between your thighs, keeping both hands as low as you can without constraint. The butt and muzzle must be kept at an equal distance from your body, the firelock running in a triangular line.

XLIV. Rest Your Bayonets.
Three Motions

Slip your left hand, without moving the firelock, and take hold of it above the lock, placing the thumb upwards. Count one, two, and bring the firelock to a recover, as in explanations IV and VII. Then count one, two, and bring down your right hand, as in explanation XXV is directed.

LXI. Unfix Your Bayonets.
Four Motions

Slip the bayonet up with your right hand; count one, two, and turn it towards you. Then count one, two, and slip it quite off of the muzzle, thrusting it from you at the same time, and holding it in that position, as is shown in the second motion of explanation XXXVII.

LXII. Return Your Bayonets.
Four Motions

Turn the point of the bayonet down, bringing it between the firelock and your body, and entering the scabbard. Count one, two, and thrust it quite in. Count one, two, and bring your right hand before you a little to the right of your firelock. Then count one, two, and seize the firelock near the muzzle, as in the third motion of explanation XXXVI is directed.

H. Bland. A Treatise of Military Discipline. (London: 1727), pp. 19-34.