To Fire a Flintlock: Musket Shooting Range Opens March 19th at Colonial Williamsburg

Educational Musket Range Celebrates Grand Opening Saturday March 19th

Unprecedented experience offers guests an opportunity to learn about, handle and operate replica 18th-century firearms with guidance from certified instructors

A guest fires a “Brown Bess” British short land service pattern musket at Colonial Williamsburg’s educational musket range.

Colonial Williamsburg’s educational musket range celebrates its grand opening Saturday, March 19, offering Revolutionary City guests an opportunity to learn about and operate the types of firearms that won independence and supported life and livelihood in early America.

Guests learn from costumed interpreters about the history of flintlock weapons, particularly in colonial Virginia, their mechanics, use in hunting and defense, plus safety and proper handling.

“We held high expectations for the exhilarating guest experience we would offer at the range, and we are confident it will exceed them,” said Peter Seibert, Colonial Williamsburg director of historic trades and skills. “For decades our guests could learn about these pieces and watch them being operated. Now they can really experience them – the weight, the smell, and the sound – and it is a great hands-on learning experience, not to mention a thrill.”

Guests are able to prime and fire replicas of two of early America’s most important firearms: a “Brown Bess” British short land service pattern musket and a fowling piece, a precursor of the modern shotgun.

The range’s Brown Bess replicas reflect the variety manufactured between 1768 and 1804 within a broader category spanning from 1717 and 1815. They are the type of musket used by both British and American soldiers during the American Revolution.

Muzzle-loaded fowling pieces were used to hunt ducks and other waterfowl in Tidewater Virginia and for farmland pest control. Notably, during the period they could be legally owned by free blacks for the latter purpose.

The range is designed by C. Vargas & Associates, Ltd., consulting engineers, of Jacksonville, Florida. The range is accessible only by ticketed guests via a shuttle from the Williamsburg Lodge. Admission includes instruction, safety equipment firearms, ammunition, and targets.

To participate, guests must present photo ID to purchase tickets on-site. Tickets are $119 and are available to guests ages 14 and older. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Additional information is available at Colonial Williamsburg ticketing locations and hospitality properties, online at www.colonialwilliamsburg.com or by calling 855-296-6627.