Marin le Bourgeoys created the first true flintlock weapons for King Louis XIII shortly after his accession to the throne in 1610.

[3] The standard French infantry-long gun was also produced at Tulle, Saint-Étienne, Maubeuge Arsenal, and other sites.

Later models of Charleville muskets remained in service until 1840, when percussion lock systems made the flintlock mechanism obsolete.

Rifles were more accurate than smoothbore muskets, but military commanders favored smoothbores on the battlefield, since the round from a rifle had to fit tightly into the barrel and became very difficult to load after a few shots because the black powder quickly fouled the barrel.

The longer range and better accuracy of the rifle were also considered to be of little value on a battlefield that was quickly obscured by black powder smoke.

This mitigated to some extent the natural inaccuracy of the musket, as well as the general lack of marksmanship training among infantrymen of the period.

Despite the musket's relative lack of accuracy the French infantrymen, especially the voltigeurs and chasseurs, were often highly effective skirmishers with it.

The bayonet also played an important role in warfare during the era of flintlock muskets, unlike its reputation today as a last-ditch weapon.

Given the slow reloading process of muzzle loading guns, a hedge of bayonets provided vital protection for musketeers against fast charging cavalry in the open.

This low rate of fire also allowed infantry to often close into melee distance without taking too many casualties, and bayonet charges were thus frequently used to decisively rout wavering enemy formations.

The Charleville thus played a dual role on the battlefield, obviously as a ranged weapon, but also as a polearm in hand-to-hand combat.

A short barrel would leave its user at a disadvantage in combat due to the lack of reach, and the gun also needed to be sturdy enough to be used as a pike or a club, while remaining light enough to be easily handled by the general infantrymen.

This made the Charleville sturdier than the British Brown Bess musket, which used pins to hold the barrel in place.

The butt of the Charleville's stock was sometimes referred to as the "patte de vache" (French for "cow's foot"), as its shape was designed to be used as a club in hand-to-hand combat.

The barrel band design was not only easier to disassemble for cleaning, but was also sturdier, which was an important consideration in bayonet combat.

Changes in the 1740s included the standardized use of a steel ramrod in 1741 and, after 1746, newly manufactured muskets had the pan/frizzen bridle removed.

The barrel was shortened from 46 to 44 inches (1,200 to 1,100 mm) and the octagonal breech plug featured on earlier models was replaced with a more rounded design.

Though shorter in length, the Model 1763 was designed to be heavier and sturdier, and weighed over ten pounds.

The barrel wall was thinned, the lock was shortened, the stock was slimmed, and the Model 1763's long iron ramrod cover was replaced by a pinned spring under the breech.

The design of the stock was again modified for the Model 1777, with a cheek rest cut into the inboard side of the butt.

The Model 1777 also featured a slanted brass priming pan and bridle, and a modified trigger guard with two rear finger ridges.

The Model 1777 is often incorrectly believed to have been used in large numbers by rebel troops during the American War of Independence.