In the British Army, the Pattern 1861 was issued to artillery units, who required a weapon for personal defence and which could be more easily wielded from horseback.

They were also imported by the Confederacy during the American Civil War and issued to artillery and cavalry units.

It was much liked for its ease of handling, and being designed for use with Minié ball bullets they could have a lethal range of up to 500 yards.

This weapon is often referred to as a musketoon but due to it having a rifled barrel is more accurately known as a carbine.

This mistake is prevalent in the popular literature probably due to the misnomer being applied to a Parker Hale reproduction.