harquebusier

A harquebusier was a soldier armed with a harquebus, which was an early type of shoulder-fired gun. Invented in Spain in the mid-15th century, the harquebus was a smoothbore, matchlock firearm with a stock similar to a rifle. It was often fired from a support to manage recoil and had an effective range of less than 650 feet.1

Harquebusiers played a role in military tactics, especially in the 16th century. They were often positioned in "sleeves" around pikemen in formations like the Spanish tercio. The harquebusiers would initiate combat before retreating behind the pikemen. This weapon was eventually superseded by the larger musket in the mid-16th century.21