The English Dragoon carbine bucket ought better to be termed a musket bucket as the dragoon musket prior to 1796 was the same length and bore as the 2nd land pattern musket. The bucket hangs from a ring on the pommel, cradling the butt of the musket. Another smaller strap off the same ring wraps around the swell of the musket and buckles to secure it in place. Typically the musket rode under the holster, over the dragoon's thigh, and just up behind his shoulder with the lock in towards the horse. Based on the 1742 clothing book among other accounts, it appears that heavy dragoons slung their muskets across their backs, with the muzzles by the left shoulder, when anticipating action. This better secured the gun at the gallop, provided a modicum of back protection in a charge. While the light troops of 1756 received special, short carbines, they still used the dragoon muzzle-down carbine buckets with their new light troop saddles. The papers of General Forbes show that in 1758 the VA light horse received this type of bucket as well. They may well have been in occasional use during the Revolutionary War.
