"Who Carried the British Grenadier Sergeant’s Carbine ..." Topic

…at the Armory?.

"There's nothing like a good detective story. When coupled with the history of a Revolutionary War weapon, it gets even more interesting. Special thanks go to Russell Malcolm, Patrick Donovan, and Don Hagist for their help in telling this one.

Hanging on the wall of our Members Lounge in the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum (click here to book a tour) is a rare English Carbine (a scaled-down version of the British Land Pattern Musket) commonly known as the "Brown Bess." From 1722 to 1838, the British Army used the Land Pattern worldwide, and some were used by colonists as well. Smoothbore flintlock muskets were not particularly accurate over distance. At a range of up to 50 yards, they could hit a man-sized target. Meanwhile, weapons with rifled barrels had a much longer range and greater accuracy. But muskets were relatively easy to load, required less cleaning while in action, and could be fired up to four times a minute by a skilled foot soldier. Many variations were produced, including lighter-weight models called carbines.

In 1770, a new Pattern Carbine was developed for non-commissioned officers in grenadier and light infantry companies. Since NCOs were charged with maintaining order in the firing lines, they were often in positions of close combat; hence the need for a smaller, lighter weapon (which was not fitted with a bayonet). In a typical British regiment of 500 men, only about a half-dozen carbines were issued…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Forgive my ignorance, but if they were in a position of close combat, why not carry a weapon with a bayonet?

Possibly because they also had a sword – as did all grenadiers at this time (officially the sword was abolished for the R&F in 1784, I think, but was put into storage around the middle or late AWI).

Grenadier sergeants reverted to pole-arms post-AWI, when the half-pike replaced the halberd.

Thanks for that.

I don't have my research books in front of me, but I am pretty certain these weapons did indeed mount a bayonet. IIRC, the only arm that didn't was the 1776 Pattern rifle.

There are portraits of officers with these type of carbines and they show them with a shorter version of the bayonet mounted. The Dodswell painting comes to mind.

If this is, in fact a cavalry carbine, the cavalry did not carry bayonets.