Most British soldiers had to make do with the "Brown Bess" musket. This gun had barely evolved in the last century and was notoriously inaccurate. It was said that you were safe if someone deliberately took aim at you with a "Brown Bess," because they would probably miss. The gun was also difficult to load, requiring at least eighteen motions.

The musket suited the infantry's purpose, however, as regular soldiers operated in cohesive units. The muskets weren't aimed meticulously by each soldier; they were pointed in the direction of the enemy and hundreds of bullets were fired simultaneously. As the British soldiers advanced on the enemy in rows, the roar and smoke of the muskets was a formidable sight.

Each soldier walked into battle with the necessary equipment. One shoulder strap supported a black cartridge box holding sixty rounds of ammunition while another strap held a bayonet (the blade that can be attached to the end of a gun). These two straps crossed on the soldier's chest and were held in place with a brass buckle.

The officers carried swords and a number of them were armed with pistols. Some Canadian troops used Baker rifles. These guns had long barrels which were spirally grooved to give bullets a spinning motion and thus greater accuracy. Rifles were most effective in bush warfare.