Sharpe's Rifles

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Sharpe's Rifles (1993)
N.B. Sean Bean's green jacket gaps open in the photo because it was originally tailored for Paul McGann, who was first cast as Richard Sharpe, before he had to withdraw due to conflicts and was replaced by Bean.

Sharpe's Rifles is the first episode of the Carlton UK series Sharpe, starring Sean Bean as Captain Richard Sharpe, the officer of a small Rifles detachment during the Napoleonic Wars. In Rifles, Sharpe is commissioned as an officer after saving General Wellesley's (the future Duke of Wellington) life from a French assassination attempt. His first task is to take command of a small detachment of marksmen and join a larger party of Rifles searching the Spanish mountains for a missing banker.

The following weapons were used in the television series Sharpe's Rifles:

Baker Rifle

The most prominently used weapon is the Baker Flintlock Rifle, issued to special units of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) and his "Chosen Men" – Patrick Harper (Daragh O'Malley), Cooper (Michael Mears), Harris (Jason Salkey), Hagman (John Tams), Tongue (Paul Trussell) and Perkins (Lyndon Davies) - all carry Bakers.

Baker Rifle (1801-1837), Caliber - 0.625 inch (15.9 mm)

Riflemen Harris (Jason Salkey) and Cooper (Michael Mears) alongside Lt. Sharpe (Sean Bean).

Rifleman Tongue (Paul Trussell) aims his Baker.

Brown Bess Flintlock Musket

The standard long arm issued to "redcoat" British soldiers is the Brown Bess Flintlock Musket.

Original "India Pattern" Brown Bess musket made 1805-1840 - .75 caliber

British soldiers on parade with their muskets.

Charleville Musket

The standard long arm issued to French infantry soldiers is the Charleville Musket.

Charleville Mousquet Modèle 1777 - .69 caliber

French soldiers with Charleville Muskets

Flintlock Pistols

Various characters use Flintlock Pistols of various kinds, including Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean), Don Blas Vivar (Simón Andreu), Colonel de L'Eclin (Malcolm Jamieson) and the Man in Black (Anthony Hyde).

Tower Sea Service Pistol used by the Royal Navy.

Don Blas (Simón Andreu) and Teresa Moreno (Assumpta Serna) enter the apparently deserted village with Sharpe.

Boxlock Blunderbuss

Teresa Moreno (Assumpta Serna), carries a brass boxlock blunderbuss pistol with a cannon style barrel and underfolding bayonet.

Boxlock blunderbuss pistol, with cannon barrel and folding bayonet

Teresa (Assumpta Serna) deploys the bayonet on her pistol, before impaling a French dragoon through the back.

Cannon

Cannon are also prominent in the series.

British infantry march past a cannon.