British Third Model Brown Bess Conversion
Item #: AA3643
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This is a British Third Model Brown Bess .75 caliber smooth bore musket manufactured by Tower in England. It has been converted from a flintlock to percussion ignition system. Originally this third model Bess measured 55 1/4" overall, with a 39" barrel. It now has an overall length of 54 1/4", with a barrel length of 37 3/4". The barrel on this smooth bore gages out at .79 caliber, apparently it did fire some shoots in anger! The bore is turning dark, and is lightly pitted along the entire surface, but is certainly good condition for a weapon over 200 years old! The exterior of the barrel is smooth and has a nice dark gray with black spotting all over the exterior. In addition to the tang screw, four iron pins retain the barrel to the stock. There is a bayonet lug on the barrel 1" behind the muzzle. There are a couple of British proof marks on the left barrel exterior at the breech. There are no sling swivels on the gun. The lock plate is marked with a Crown over GR forward of the hammer with the British acceptance mark to the right of it, and TOWER to the rear of the hammer. The lock plate has a patina matching the barrel, the hammer as well. It is a military type hammer that has been added when the bolster style percussion conversion was made. The mechanics of the lock need some work, holding in half and full cock only if the trigger pushed forward manually. The lock is an original flint type that has been modified for percussion use. The trigger guard has been cut down, no longer having the extended tang to the rear, but terminating just to the rear of the guard. There is no longer a butt plate on the stock. The forward finial on the trigger guard is acorn shaped. The shortened trigger guard, nose cap and ramrod thimbles are brass, and all have a matching patina. The steel button head ramrod is correct for this gun, matches the patina of the rest of the gun, but is not threaded at the end. The stock has one major issue. The bottom 1/3 of the butt has been broken and put back together with nails. Two of the nails are covered by an epoxy, the third is exposed, showing it to a round head nail. The wood matches, but I have no idea when the repair was made, as round head nails have been around since 1815. The normal bumps and dings are present from handling. Remarkably there only a couple of shallow and short stress cracks on the stock! The barrel channel is still very crisp and has no wood loss. There are no inspector cartouches or stamps on the stock that I have found. There is some fine checkering in the wrist area of the stock that really makes the stock stand out. This smooth bore long gun could have seen service in the War of 1812, the fight for Texas Independence and the Mexican America War. It will make an interesting piece in your long arms collection!
Shipping Weight:
10 lbs
Item # AA3643
Your Price $900.00 USD
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