Musket

A musket is a type of long gun that was widely used from the 16th to the 19th centuries, primarily by infantry soldiers. It is characterized by its smoothbore barrel, which means it does not have rifling (the spiral grooves inside the barrel that improve accuracy). Muskets were typically loaded with a lead ball and gunpowder through the muzzle. They played a significant role in historical warfare, especially in battles during the Colonial and Napoleonic eras. The introduction of rifles, which offered greater range and accuracy, eventually led to the decline of muskets in military use.