African Trade Musket

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Kind of looks like a Birmingham proof #3, but I for one would have expected any English gun to be much more clear in the proof strike. But, it could be due to the age, condition and/or patina.

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My 1st guess was that of a Belgian made arm, but there proof marks are way different and quite distinct.
 
We're the British trading arms with Africans in the 18th century? Looks like a typical 19th century variant. Maybe early 20th?
 
I thought 18thC, due to lack of a bridles on the frizzen and cock. Also the length of the barrel.
 
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I have an identically marked barrel, also says "Made in Belgium." Marking country of origin for imported goods began in the 1890s in the US and UK, so it's a safe bet mine was made in the 20th century.

Was there an African colony trade market in the 18th century?
 
What was it listed as in the auction? (From auction house or on-line auction?)
Restock from parts is my guess, but not much to go on with just the unfocused picture. The stock condition looks too pristine compared with the heavily pitted barrel. But we need better and close- up pictures- Lock, sideplate and other mountings.
 
These were made and sold to populations because it’s all they were allowed to have , and they were cheaper to operate. The government would not let you own a cartridge gun, and ammunition was way too expensive anyway.
 
It is a light Buccaneer trade gun. They were made in Belgium up until 1925 by at least two companies. There is one for sale on Gunbroker right now if you look today or tomorrow. There is also a good paragraph on them in Flintlock Fowler by Grinslade. Both the book and Gunbrokers show catalog pictures of several styles each source has a different companies catalog, but the selection is the same. The one on Gunbrokers has a honeybee stamp on the lock that gives it a post 1910 date. The red stock was offered on the light version of 22 gauge bore. The same model in heavy 12 bore was painted black. They are based on French/dutch club foot Caribbean trade guns from the 1700s and look very much like the early 1700 club butt Fowler made in New York and the Hudson valley. Nice piece!
 
Ok, things are looking clearer now! Had the lock off and there are markings to match lock parts to the stock. 4 little notches. The screws are definitely not 18thC!
No bridle to the inside of the cock.
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I paid the equivalent of just under $170.
A few more photos.
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Just so people know ... true Club Butt fowlers (form Rhode Island area) and Hudson Valley fowlers are 2 different arms, where technically per the purists, the HV is not a club butt per se, nor is an early French Fusil de Boucanier. I got my butt whooped but good by Mike Brooks once by thinking that all 3 were one and the same, just variants by Country/Area of origin ...
 
British gun trade to Africa in 18th century- millions and millions of cheap muskets, often using parts rejected by Ordnance, critical part of slave trade
Inikori, J. E. x
1977 The import of firearms into West Africa 1750-1807: A quantitative analysis. Journal of African History 18(3):339-368.

Late 1700s guns + powder considered a “necessary” part of an Africa trade ship’s cargo, though usually ‘of an inferior kind.’ Special licenses exempted W Africa trade from usual bans on gun export. Some Birmingham gunmakers also owned slave trade enterprises. Very high demand, competition for workers to produce guns.
Gunpowder export table from custom records shows from 1750-1807 yearly hundreds of thousands of pounds, often exceeding 1 million lbs. Gun prices and other info show guns imported into W Africa from1796-1805 numbered 58-175,000 per yr. Slaves were the most important item exchanged for Euro goods; guns most important item used to buy slaves, always included in exchanges. Ivory second to slaves. Guns enhanced raiding for slaves, slaving provoked warfare and defence. Guns not demanded by food sellers, thus gun importance in agriculture argument fails.
Many types of guns [with cryptic names] mostly cheap, local variation in preferences. Many contemporary comments on the poor quality. But some dispute from makers; some guns used proofed military barrels and other parts, others had no proofing – suggests variable qualities to choose from.
 
A good friend of mine was an early Peace Corps volunteer, French Gabon in 1963. One of his photos is the results of a Pygmy elephant hunt. He said the hunter had what looked like a cut down Brown Bess musket. The man with the musket would run directly under the elephant and fire straight up into the underside. Then the village would run the elephant in circles until the elephant bled out and collapsed. They would dry as much of the meat as possible but gorge themselves at the same time until the meat was gone. The meat would spoil quickly in the heat.
 


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