The British line infantry doctrine of 1780 was built around the first volley. A well-drilled battalion would advance to within fifty paces of the enemy, halt, and at the order "Present, fire!" deliver a single coordinated volley from every musket in the line. The effect was devastating: hundreds of musket balls landing on the opposing formation at the same instant, faster than any individual could shoot accurately, and overwhelming the noise and visual confusion of close combat. The volley was supposed to break the enemy, and often did. If it didn't, the line reloaded and fired again — or, if conditions called for it, advanced with the bayonet under the smoke. The accuracy of any individual British musket was poor by modern standards; a smoothbore Brown Bess at fifty yards might land its ball anywhere in a four-foot circle. But the volley didn't depend on individual accuracy. It depended on every man in the line firing at the same target, at the same moment, and trusting the drill.

This figure shows a 43rd Foot infantryman in the firing position — musket shouldered to the cheek, right hand on the small of the stock with the trigger finger ready, left hand supporting the barrel forward, weapon level and pointed forward at the target. He wears the standard 1780 British line uniform: scarlet coat with white facings, white cross-belts with cartridge box, white waistcoat and breeches, black knee gaiters, tricorne with white binding. He pairs with the British 43rd Foot Make Ready (the step immediately before firing), the British 43rd Foot Tear Cartridge (a soldier preparing his next round), and the British 43rd Foot Casualty Falling (a fellow soldier hit by return fire) — together composing the moment of British volley fire and its consequences.

1/30 scale (60mm), matte-painted, single figure boxed. Catalog number 16154. As with the rest of the W. Britain modern range, the painting is photographic-quality detail intended to read well in dioramas and display cases.