Tulle musket
The French-madeTullemusketorFusil de chasse(fu-zi dee chā-se), originally meaning "gun of the hunt", was a lightsmoothboreflintlockmusketdesigned for hunting. A later military variant known as theFusil marine ordinaire,or "common naval musket" was issued to theFrench marinesduring theFrench and Indian WarandAmerican War of Independence.French Common Muskets were typically lighter and shorter than the laterCharleville musketsalso manufactured at Tulle.
Etymology
[edit]The name fusil isphoneticallypronounced "fusee" in English. "[1]The French name Fusil is acorruptionof the Italianfucilemeaningflint.[2]Also from the name fusil comes the termfusilier.A very similar but cheaper version was thefusil de traite(trade gun).[3]Fusils were a common musket in 18th centuryColonial Americaand were used bythe Patriotsduring theAmerican Revolution.
History
[edit]Fusil de chasse
[edit]In France, the manufacturing ofarmsbegan as a large industry inSaint-Étiennecirca 1535.[4]The firstarmorywas set up in 1669. By 1646, arms manufacturing had begun at Tulle nearby.[4]In 1690 an armory was set up there as well. Theflintlockwas adopted by France for her armies in 1630. Both Tulle and Saint-Étienne furnished flintlocks for the French troops in America.[4]The typical musket in 1690 was about 60 inches (1,500 mm) long and had abarrelof about 44 inches (1,100 mm).[4]
The fusil de chasse was designed for hunting. It was anelegantflintlock with a distinctive "cow's foot" shape to thebuttstockthat softenedrecoil.ThisLa Peidstock shape is typical of long guns made at Tulle.[5]Generally the muskets made at Tulle were defined by models, but some hunting fusils were made to order. Differences were based on their intended purpose and market.[6]In 1695 and 1696 contracts for muskets from the Tulle factory each called for "five hunting muskets for the Indian Chiefs".[6]These models would later be called aFusil fin(chief's grade musket). These muskets were to be caliber 28 balls to the pound (approximately.56 caliber), 45 inches (1,100 mm) long, "well filed and well polished with finemountingsand aflat lock".[6]
Fusil Marine Ordinaire
[edit]In 1696 muskets of this pattern were manufactured at Tulle for thefusiliers marinsof theFrench navy.[7]These had 45-inch barrels with a.69 caliberbore. The barrel was attached to thebuttstockwith metal pins similar to theBrown Bessinstead of the metal bands used on later muskets. Early versions of this musket used aplug bayonetand woodenramrod.Additional batches of muskets were ordered for the Frenchmarine corpsin 1716, 1729 and 1734,[8]and remained in service during theFrench and Indian WarsandAmerican Revolutionary Waruntil it was replaced with theCharleville musket.[9]Components from French muskets of this type have been found atFort St Joseph,Michigan.[10][11]
Until about 1718company commanderssuch as captains were responsible for ensuring that each soldier or marine had a working firearm, but other than that the captain allowed his soldiers to choose which musket they would use.[4]Often, that meant there was no standard musket in use in acompanylet alone an army. This was a common failing of all armies of the time.[4]That changed with the Model 1717 fusil which standardized the muskets and ammunition used by the French army.[4]With asocket bayonetattached, it was longer than the British muskets of the time giving French troops an advantage in hand-to-hand combat. At 63 inches (1,600 mm) and with a barrel of 47 inches (1,200 mm) it allowed troops to fire from three ranks at the same time. The combination of a longer barrel and a frontsightto aim the weapon also made it slightly more accurate than British muskets. A fewimprovementswere made with the M1728 model but it was otherwise the same musket. More improvements were made in 1746 when the woodenramrodwas replaced with a metal one.[4]The French muskets shot 18 bullets to the pound which translates to.69-caliber. The fourth and final model, which would eventually be superseded by the Charleville during the 1780s, was issued in 1754 with a shorter, lighter version for officers.[12]
Tulle Fusil de Grenadier
[edit]
From 1729 to 1734,[13]theFrench armyadopted the Tulle musket to arm their elitegrenadiers.[14]These were issued until the end of the French and Indian Wars, due to the scarcity of the newCharleville musketintroduced in 1728.[15]Both army and navy muskets from Tulle have been discovered in 18th century Frenchshipwreckssuch as thefrigateMachault,sunk off the coast of Canada during theBattle of Restigouchein 1760.[16]
Both the French and the British had versions of the officer's fusil, which were generally of higher quality than those issued to enlisted troops. The British fucils were based on theBrown Bessmusket. The French officer's fusil was fitted for a sling and the stock was 4 inches (100 mm) shorter than the barrel to fit asocket bayonet.At 20 gauge (.62-caliber) the fusil was also used as a fowling gun (early predecessor of the shotgun).[2]The officers' model weighed about 7 pounds (3.2 kg) and was 54 inches (1,400 mm) in length. All officers, includinggenerals,carried an officer's model fusil.[4]
Fusil de traite
[edit]
InNew France,theIndiansallied to the French carried French fusils. These were either Fusils de chasse or de traite. Higher quality muskets, sometimes with custom engraving, were gifted toIndian chiefswho often decorated these prized weapons withbrass tacks.[17]Flintlock English and French trade guns of this type were used by the Indians as recently as the mid-19th century.[18]At theBattle of the Monongahela,British GeneralEdward Braddockled his troops directly into anambushbynative Americanand French troops in July 1755. Braddock was killed, no doubt, by a.62 caliber ball fired from a French fusil.[17]The smoothbore Tulle musket was carried by most, if not all, the Indians who attacked Braddock at theMonongahela River.[17]
Native warriors took very good care of their muskets and strongly preferred the French fusils over guns made elsewhere.[17]Although the fusil de traite was designed as a less-expensive trade gun, many Indians knew the difference and preferred the fusil de chasse.[3]While there were a number of different models of fusils sent to the Americas, the light musket de chasse was designed for those who hunted for a living.[19]So many were needed that the factory at Saint-Étienne had to handle the extra demand.[19]Most of these were shipped to New France where trading was the main activity between Native Americans and the French.[19]Both varieties were made with either iron orbrassfittings and most were.62 caliber.[19]Both were marked "Tulle" (earlier spelling was "Tvlle" ) on the lock plate.[3]This makesarchaeologicalfinds harder to tell apart over twocenturieslater.[3]Many of thereproductionsmade today are marked "Tulle".[3]
Cost
[edit]The various flintlocks produced at Tulle had the following costs in 1750:
- Fusil de Chasse (ordinary) – 15 to 20livre.[20]In 1997 US dollars, that would be between $30 and $40.[21]
- Fusil de fin (chief's grade) – 25 to 40 livre.[20]In 1997 dollars, $50 to $80.[21]
- Fusil de traite (ordinary) – 9 to 15 livre.[20]About $18 to $30 in 1997.[21]
- Fusil de militarie (grenidier or ordinary) – 20 to 30 livre.[20]About $40 to US$60 in 1997.[21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Stuart Reid,The Flintlock Musket: Brown Bess and Charleville 1715–1865(Oxford, UK; New York, NY: Osprey Publishing, 2016), p. 78
- ^abDon Troiani; James L. Kochan; et al.,Don Troiani's Soldiers in America, 1754–1865(Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1998), p. 36
- ^abcde"A Fusil by any other name – French era guns".The French in Wisconsin. Archived fromthe originalon 14 August 2016.Retrieved7 August2016.
- ^abcdefghiCharles Winthrop Sawyer,Firearms in American History; 1600–1800(Norwood, MA: Plimpton Press, 1910), pp. 23–27
- ^"French Arms".The Rifle Shoppe, Inc.Retrieved8 August2016.
- ^abcRussel Bouchard,The Fusil de Tulle in New France, 1691–1741 "(Alexandria Bay, NY; Bloomfield, ON: Museum Restoration Service, 1998), pp. 22, 26
- ^Tulle Musket
- ^Studies on Tulle musket
- ^American shoulder arms
- ^Scholar Works
- ^Les troupes de la marine
- ^Libre cours
- ^Tulle fusils
- ^In my back yard: grenadier musket
- ^Grenadier's musket
- ^Weaponry from Machault
- ^abcdDavid L. Preston,Braddock's Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution(Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), p. 151
- ^Weapons of the Indian Wars
- ^abcd"Flintlock Fun! – Shooting the French Fusil de Chasse".GunsAmerica. 8 August 2015.Retrieved7 August2016.
- ^abcdRussel Bouchard,Les armes à feu en Nouvelle-France(Sillery, Quebec City, QC: Les Presses Universitaires du Septentrion, 1999), p. 81
- ^abcdGerry Lalonde."Monetary Values in 1650 – 1750 in New France Compared to Today".RootsWeb.Retrieved8 August2016.