Designed by the Whitechapel gunsmith Ezekiel Baker and based on the German Jäger (‘hunter’) rifle, the Pattern 1800 Infantry Rifle or 'Baker rifle' was the first British military issue rifle. It differed from a musket in that its barrel bore featured spiral grooves instead of being smooth. The Baker had in fact  seven-grooves that made a one-quarter turn of the 30-inch barrel. These grooves imparted spin on the ball, giving it greater velocity, range and accuracy.

The Baker rifle was ten times more accurate than a standard Brown Bess musket. However, it was expensive to manufacture and its smaller calibre and tighter-fitting ball made it slower and harder to load resulting in a lower rate of fire. During the Napoleonic Wars it was only issued to the 95th Rifles, a new, elite regiment of scouts, skirmishers and sharpshooters, famous for their dark green uniforms which contrasted strongly to the red traditionally worn by British troops. The history and deeds of the 95th were popularised by contemporary accounts such as The Recollections of Rifleman Harris and latterly by the books and television series about the brilliant but wayward fictional rifleman, Richard Sharpe.

This particular rifle was made after 1806 and possibly used in the Ceylon Rifle Regiment after 1815. It was issued with a sword bayonet such as this (1884.28.43), made in 1801 by Hadley of Birmingham. This was rarely used for combat, but was useful for digging and chopping wood, as well as cutting and roasting meat.

You can find out more about the Baker Rifle and its history here:

http://england.prm.ox.ac.uk/englishness-baker-rifle.html