http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqEJRph9km0&feature=player_embedded

18th-century guns were notoriously dangerous. The powder could go off when rammed in; the ramrod could break off and be incredibly hazardous to remove; the load could get jammed so the powder would blow the barrel apart when fired; the powder might not catch immediately when the spark hit it (especially if slightly damp), only igniting some seconds later when the soldier turned the gun around to see what was wrong; etc. There is a good reason why gunpowder factories were made of isolated buildings surrounded by earthen ramparts.

On the plus side, though, you were far likelier to die of Smallpox, Typhus, or in childbirth than from gunfire, either enemy or your own.