Why didn the Three Musketeers use muskets?
They would have used muskets if they had been part of a large army and were fighting a battle. They would have been part of a large block of musketeers standing shoulder-to-shoulder, several ranks deep, and firing in unison, protected by pikes or bayonets while reloading (which could take up to one minute). But Dumas’ Musketeers were performing a different role, that of personal bodyguards. As such they needed to use hand-to-hand weapons, i.e. swords. A 17th century musket would have been of little use as a personal defense.
