Decoding the Lobsterbacks: The weapons and uniforms of the Revolutionary War Red Coats

The average British infantryman who fought at Lexington was 5 feet 6 inches tall, 26 years old, and already had around five years of previous military experience. He marched with 60 lbs. of gear on his person. This included a knapsack and blanket, ration bag, canteen, musket, bayonet, and 60 rounds of ammunition in a cartridge box. In combat, much of the excess baggage was discarded, but still amounted to 35 lbs.

Collecting redcoat kit today offers unique challenges and opportunities. Original weapons such as swords and bayonets are widely available. Guns with direct provenance to the war are rare, while original uniforms are particularly scarce. If you are interested in re-enacting, replica equipment can be readily sourced for a fraction of the cost. 

The Brown Bess was the mainstay of the British Army from 1722 until the beginning of the Victorian scramble for Empire. It served on all fronts and was carried by practically every British private soldier who arrived in America during the Revolution.

Some scholars deride the Brown Bess as the “worst contrived of any firelock in the world.” One British officer fighting in the later Napoleonic Wars referred to it as “our abominably clumsy machine.”

It was heavy, but its weight indicated its strength and durability. Aiming was pointless at anything other than point-blank range. British Army Col. George Hanger claimed that at ranges beyond 150 yards, the firer might as well shoot at the moon. In the heat of battle, amid foul powder smoke, confusion, and terror, aimed fire was usually nonexistent.

Nevertheless, at close range, it packed a horrific punch. Bored to .75 caliber, in practice a .71 size musket ball was used to reduce powder fouling in the barrel. This was still a larger and more destructive ball than most of Britain’s opponents used at the time.

The diarist Nicholas Creswell confirmed this. In the summer of 1777, he described a sharp exchange of musketry between American and British soldiers. “At 100 yards both parties fired; but I did not see any fall. They still advanced to the distance of 40 yards or less, and fired again. I then saw a great number fall on both sides… I never before saw such a shocking scene…”

The Long Land Service Pattern was introduced in 1722 and became the first standardized firearm in the British Army. In 1740, the Short Land Service Pattern reduced the barrel to a more manageable 3 ft. 6 in. Brown Besses constructed in England usually bear the crown mark. Most of the Besses used by British soldiers in America were Short Land Patterns.  

India Pattern Besses were made by the East India Company and were of notably lower quality. An India Pattern Bess is usually identifiable through the E.I.C. (or H.E.I.C.) mark. These were produced from 1797, so none of these existed during the Revolution.

Without clear provenance, a good-quality Bess from the period will likely fetch around $10,000. In 2019, a Bess issued to the 24th Regiment of Foot, which fought during the Saratoga Campaign, went for north of $50,000. Working replicas can be picked up for significantly less.

The ubiquitous redcoat of the average British soldier was made of dyed wool. The coat had lapels, collar, and cuffs bearing the colors of his particular regiment. Units took fierce pride in their “regimentals” and all ranks had the number of the regiment engraved on their uniform buttons.

White pants and stockings were worn at the beginning of the conflict, but more practical overalls were gradually introduced as the war progressed, replacing the shorter pants.

British soldiers were quick to adapt their uniforms to changing conditions. For example, in the backwoods of upstate New York, General “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne’s force cut away the bottom half of their redcoats to prevent snagging in the thick undergrowth as they marched.

According to “His Majesty’s Warrant for the Regulation of the Colours, Clothing, etc. of the Marching Regiments of Foot”, which was published in 1768, and only superseded in 1796:

“The hats of the Serjeants to be laced with silver. Those of the Corporals and private men to have a white tape binding” and all “to have black cockades.”

It further stipulated that officers’ uniforms “may be without embroidery or lace; but, if the Colonel thinks proper, either gold or silver embroidered or laced button-holes are permitted.”

Though they later went out of fashion, gorgets were worn by officers throughout the Revolution. Originally a neck guard for a medieval knight, by 1775 the gorget was worn more as a status symbol than for any practical use. The famous 1772 Charles Willson Peale portrait of George Washington in his Virginia Provincial uniform shows him proudly wearing one.

Period uniforms can be tricky for the modern collector to obtain as the materials used mean most have degraded by now. Those seriously interested in owning a period uniform usually have to cobble together bits and pieces into something resembling the original. As was the case at the time, officers’ uniforms carry more value than those of lesser ranks.

The 18th-century battlefield still held a place for melee weapons, and the British Army used bayonets and swords extensively.

Majors and above were expected to pay for their own swords and could carry whatever design they wished on campaign. As such, regimental and battalion commanders carried an array of weird and wonderful weapons into battle including sabers, rapiers, and even Highland broadswords. 

Captains and below were issued with short swords, most often “hangers”. These were slightly curved, flat-backed steel blades. They could be made cheaply and produced in large quantities. Sergeants were also issued “hangers”. Though most British NCOs had traded in their halberds during the French & Indian War, in battalion companies sergeants carrying halberds were not an uncommon sight. Period “hangers” can be picked up for a few thousand dollars, but ones identified with a particular soldier or officer have greatly increased value.

For the ordinary rank and file, the chief melee weapon remained the bayonet. Attached to the end of the musket, the fearsome Brown Bess bayonet was an 18-inch triangular blade designed to produce a shock effect. Indeed, one feature of battles during the war was how little actual melee fighting occurred — generally, units would fall back when confronted with a bayonet charge.

Bayonets can be picked up relatively cheaply because they were produced in huge quantities, and as they were made from steel many have survived the ravages of time. One in decent condition with provenance might fetch $500 to $1,000.

It is important to note that every soldier in British Grenadier companies was also issued a sword (usually the “hanger”). This indicated their role as aggressive troops. 

Many Patriot light infantry units carried the deadly accurate Kentucky Rifle. Able to shoot far beyond the maximum effective range of the Brown Bess, Kentuckys gave Patriot sharpshooters a distinct advantage throughout the war.

Striving to make up this shortfall, the British government quickly commissioned a service rifle of its own – the P1776. This became the first officially adopted British infantry rifle. Based on German Jaeger Hunting rifles, it was shorter than the Kentucky Rifle, but still provided much-needed range and accuracy. The Jaeger rifle concept eventually allowed the army to adopt the Baker Rifle (made famous by the Sharpe novels of Bernard Cornwell) in 1801.

The P1776 can be identified by its seven-grooved octagonal barrel and vacant holes near the muzzle on each side of the barrel that once supported a ramrod swivel (purposely removed from the rifles before they went to America). One sold in 2022 for $12,000. 

The Ferguson Rifle also saw service during the war, though in far fewer numbers than the P1776. Designed by the flamboyant Major Patrick Ferguson, his rifle featured an innovative screw breech. In ideal fighting conditions, it could fire six shots per minute — twice that of the Brown Bess.

It is one of the first breech-loading rifles ever made and would have proved a devastating advantage to the British were it not for several drawbacks. Ferguson Rifles were expensive to produce, difficult to maintain, and prone to breakages.       

This meant only 100 were made during the Revolutionary War for exclusive use with Fergusons Experimental Rifle Corps. Around a dozen are known to exist today with most located in museums. An authenticated Ferguson did come up for sale in 2018 and fetched close to $100,000. Collectors interested in this rare weapon will likely have to opt for a replica. A decently constructed one can be picked up for $3,000-$6,000.

Thomas Lobster brought substantial amounts of weapons and kit into America during the Revolution. Much of that material remains in the United States. With the 250th anniversary of the war and the founding of America on our doorstep, interest in the subject is growing. The time to buy period equipment is now.