. ▁Modern ▁ball istic ▁tests ▁have ▁confirmed ▁these ▁data . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Russian ▁Lieutenant - General ▁Ivan ▁G . ▁G og el , ▁all ▁the ▁mus k ets ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁nations , ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁pen et rate ▁a ▁wooden ▁shield ▁with ▁a ▁thick ness ▁of ▁ 1 ▁in ch ▁( 2 . 5 4   cm ), ▁at ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁ 3 0 0 ▁yards . ▁ ▁British ▁soldiers ▁armed ▁with ▁Brown ▁B esses ▁preferred ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁standard ▁procedures ▁for ▁loading ▁a ▁mus ket . ▁To ▁do ▁this , ▁they ▁lower ▁the ▁cart ridge ▁into ▁the ▁bar rel ▁and ▁hit ▁the ▁but t ▁on ▁the ▁ground . ▁This ▁made ▁it ▁possible ▁to ▁do ▁without ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁sc our ing ▁stick . ▁This ▁method ▁of ▁loading ▁allowed ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁fire ▁approximately ▁twice . ▁ ▁Vari ations ▁ ▁Many ▁variations ▁and ▁modifications ▁of ▁the ▁standard ▁pattern ▁mus ket ▁were ▁created ▁over ▁its ▁long ▁history . ▁The ▁earliest ▁version ▁was ▁the ▁Long ▁Land ▁Pattern ▁of ▁ 1 7 2 2 , ▁a ▁ 6 2 - inch ▁( 1 , 5 7 5   mm ) ▁long ▁( without ▁bay on et ) ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁ 4 6 - inch ▁( 1 , 1 6 8   mm ) ▁bar rel . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁found ▁that ▁short ening ▁the ▁bar rel ▁did ▁not ▁det ract ▁from ▁accuracy ▁but ▁made ▁handling ▁easier , ▁giving ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁Milit ia ▁( or ▁Marine ) ▁Pattern ▁of