1840 Brunswick 1st model

[oldarmy]

My son bought a 1st model brunswick from Atlantic cultery last year. These are oringinal 1840 era muskets cal .75 that look like East India company guns that were given to Napal as military aid.
I am in the process of replacing the stock, which is too old and cracked to shoot, with a new one. I will not go into where that is coming from. :curse: I will save the old stock because it is an oringinal stock -160 years old-
My first question is,
the muzzel has a few dings right around the crown. Can I just take a fine file and file off the ding rather then having the barrel re-crowned?
next question is
The barrel itself looks ok, with the exception of the dings, with no heavy pitting or cracks that I can see. If I use light loads do you think the musket is safe to shoot? My son has his heart set on firing this old gun. However I am a little hessient to shoot it.
The action seems ok and once I fit the barrel into the new stock it will be good and tight.
any advise will be appricated.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Boy, it's difficult and risky to say a piece is safe to shoot without examining it, and even then it's risky. The old "strap it to a tire and use a string to pull the trigger" system is the only way I would trust. If it survives a couple full loads it should be good for reduced loads in service. You might want to try it without the stock so as not to waste a lot of wood and effort for no purpose.

If you just knock out the dings in the crown and end up with a crown that is not flush and perpendicular to the bore, it will never shoot well.

 

[oldarmy]

Yea,
that's what I thought.
The NEW stock has alreay been ordered and paid for.
I know a gunsmith that will re-crown the barrel. I guess I will do this assbackwards and fix it all up and then
"strap it to the tire"
and hope for the best.

 

[FearNot]

Just curious, but if this is an original piece wouldn't it be better to leave the original parts together (looking at this from an historical perspective) and buy a modern made firearm?

I saw them in the Atlanta Cutlery catalog also and wished I could afford one of each!

 

[oldarmy]

In my oppinion, I don't think they are worth what my son paid for it.
They are in very rough shape and he paid extra for a handpick.
If this one was a hand pick then I hate to see what the regulars looked like.
that being said, I would agree that it should just be a collection/display piece.
My son however is insisting that he is going to shoot this weapon and he is willing to spend the money to make it happen. Kids!!!
Thanks for the advise

 

[Wes/Tex]

I remember that when they were first advertised in the catalogs, Atlanta Cutlery made the comment that as for condition you should think of them as being picked up off the battlefield of Waterloo and put in barn to be left till now...sounds like NRA "grungy" grade to me! Still, some of them are very interesting toys!! :crackup:

 

[Keith]

IMA and Atlanta Cutlery are both selling some of those Nepalese finds. If nothing else they are interesting and have some collector value. Shootable ? A good price ?