Considering how long it takes to reload a musket, why didn’t soldiers from the 18th century simply carry 2-3 preloaded muskets instead to save time?

Question

Considering how long it takes to reload a musket, why didn’t soldiers from the 18th century simply carry 2-3 preloaded muskets instead to save time?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

Weight is the major factor, as others have pointed out. However, it was _not_ uncommon a little later for people to carry multiple preloaded service revolvers.