Baker Rifle

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	Weapon: Baker Rifle Type: Rifled Musket Country of Origin: United Kingdom Caliber: .62 Caliber Action: Flint-Lock

The Baker Rifle, officially adopted by the British Army in 1800, was one of the first standard-issue rifled firearms used by British infantry. Designed by gunsmith Ezekiel Baker, this .625 caliber flintlock rifle featured seven-groove rifling, providing much greater accuracy than the smoothbore muskets of the era. With a shorter barrel and compact design, the Baker Rifle was ideal for the British rifle regiments, particularly for sharpshooting and skirmishing roles, which required precision shooting at greater distances.

Produced primarily at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield and by various contractors across Britain, the Baker Rifle was manufactured in the thousands, with production spanning from 1800 to the 1830s. It gained renown during the Napoleonic Wars, especially in the hands of the 95th Rifles and the 60th Royal American Regiment, where it proved itself in engagements like the Peninsular War. Its accuracy and reliability were highly valued, making it a favored weapon among British riflemen, and it remained in service for decades as one of the best rifles of its time.

The Baker Rifle became an iconic weapon, symbolizing the role of riflemen in modern warfare, and it garnered a reputation for its effectiveness in battle and its influence on subsequent rifle designs. Known for its distinctive look with brass fittings and a sword bayonet, the Baker Rifle left a lasting legacy, both on the battlefield and in historical reenactments and media portrayals. Today, it is highly prized by collectors and historians, celebrated for its historical significance as a pioneering rifled weapon in British military history.