Musket The musket, essentially a large arquebus, was introduced around 1521, but fell out of favor by the mid-16th century due to the decline of armor. The term, however, remained and musket became a generic descriptor for smoothbore gunpowder weapons fired from the shoulder ("shoulder arms") into the mid-19th century. At least on one occasion musket and arquebus were used interchangeably to refer to the same weapon, and even referred to as an arquebus musket. A Habsburg commander in the mid-1560s once referred to muskets as double arquebuses. The matchlock firing mechanism also became a common term for the arquebus after it was added to the firearm. Later flintlock firearms were sometimes called fusils or fuzees.
musket the musket essentially a large arquebus was introduced around 1521 but fell out of favor by the mid-16th century due to the decline of armor the term however remained and musket became a generic descriptor for smoothbore gunpowder weapons fired from the shoulder ("shoulder arms") into the mid-19th century at least on one occasion musket and arquebus were used interchangeably to refer to the same weapon and even referred to as an arquebus musket a habsburg commander in the mid-1560s once referred to muskets as double arquebuses the matchlock firing mechanism also became a common term for the arquebus after it was added to the firearm later flintlock firearms were sometimes called fusils or fuzees