I don't think an M-16 would be called a " Musket", because it took a bayonet!
Musket certainly conjures up images of military forces with weapons, either smoothbore, or rifled, and usually with bayonets.
I consider it a generic term, and smoothbore, or rifle, to be more specific.
A lot of things were confused in the 19th century as technology gave us better firearms, but the old terms were still sought to be applied to the new guns. People need to remember HOW SHORT a time period passed from the invention of the percussion ignition system, to the breech loaded, cartridge guns. If we accept 1805 to 1807, depending on source, as the date of invention of the percussion ignition system by Alexander Forsythe, And the invention of the PINFIRE ignition system, the first, enclosed, cartridge that was breechloading, in 1828, patented in 1835, by LaFaucheaux, You have a very lively and viable time period of great changes in firearms technology.
I am amazed that the percussion system hung on as long as it did! Only because industry was not capable of supplying large volumes of Pinfire cartridges to governments to use was that idea passed over. The flintlock reigned for more than 200 years at that point, and still is used today.
If you ignor the pinfire guns, and go to rimfires, the first was the FLobert BB cap, 22. caliber rimfire cartridge made in 1845. The .22 short was invented and manufacturered by Smith and Wesson in 1857. Your centerfire cartridges came about in 1866, with the patenting of the Berdan Primer in March, and the Boxer Primer in October. In between the .22 short cartridge, and the patenting of the centerfire primer systems, in 1866, America fought its Civil War, which stirred the invention of all kinds of new rifles, pistols, shotguns, and even the first " Machine gun", the famous Gatling Gun. Industry caught up with mass production demands because of the Civil War contract requirements, and it had no problem supplying the new, Brass Cased fixed ammunition by 1873, when the army adopted the Springfield .45-70 cartridge as its official arm, and Colt came out with its .45 Colt Pistol cartridge, while Winchester came out with its .44-40(.44 WCF) cartridge, all in the same year.
I think every one needs to take a long breath, have a beer, or cold drink, and accept the fact that the use of language did not keep up with the changing technology during the 19th century, and that is why we have this long thread arguing about almost nothing of importance in the scheme of things.
It would be nice to get everyone to agree on the definition of terms, but its obvious after all this back and forth that there is little agreement among so-called experts in that time period.
I think we should forgive ourselves from being a bit confused on this issue, too. :hmm: :shocked2: :hatsoff: