Any information about this musket/rifle?

[Unk]

Hi, this is my first post in this forum. Thanks for welcoming me.

I got an old percussion musket, and i'm searching for infos about it.

From the outside it looks really bad, but after dissassambling it, the lock is fine, an the barrel also looks not that bad (see pictures for this).

What i know so far is, that's most likely belgium (elg stamp).

Caliber is 18.4mm (barrel is smooth inside, so it should be a musket).

If google is correct than it should be between 1810 and 1893 (no crown on ELG Logo) and supposingly more to 1853-1893 ("snorkely" EL stamp).

But there are many more stamps, where i couldn't find information about (three scores, "B8's", R.M., etc).

Interestingly it is a back-action lock and it only has to barrael clamps (one in the middle and one in the front), it looks a bit shorter than standart muskets of that period, but too long to be a shotgun.

So, please, if any of you experts could help to get a better picture, i would be very happy

 

[garra]

That proof mark with the oval around it looks to be Belgian. I have attached a link to a site with more of those marks. http://www.hunting.be/wp-content/uploads/Belgian-Proof-Marks.pdf

 

[Heelerau]

That musket is european, Belgian proof marks. It should clean up well, might even be a shooter ! But have it checked out by someone who understands black powder arms. You should check with a cleaning rod if it is loaded, the rod should go to just about level or bit above the end of the muzzle. If it has a charge it will be a good inch or more above the level of the muzzle.

 

[Unk]

Thanks for the hint, will check if it's still charged.

 

[TFoley]

Careful use of 0000 grade BRONZE wool and lots of oil will recover most of the original metal to its erstwhile bright finish.

When you've done that. come back to us and talk about the wood - doesn't look too bad to me.

The 'three scores' are assembly marks for manufacture - all the components were kept together to ease assembly, with larger parts being marked like this.

 

[Zonie]

Your musket looks a bit like the Belgian 1841/1848 musket although you say the number of barrel bands is different.

Scroll down a bit in this link.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/britishmilitariaforums/pattern-1838-musket-t8491.html

 

[Unk]

Thanks alot (espacially Zonie - your links is very helpful as it seems to be exactly Belgian M1853 rifle musket but later made shorter).

The musket ist now finished (and fully functional) after a nearly a month of work

Dissassambled, taken care of rust, closed woodworm holes, sanded, colored, oiled, got new piston, fix damaged hammer, assambled (and very happy about the result ).

 

[Unk]

And its now sure that it was longer at some time in the past (barrel and wood shortend, see second pic, old mark from second barrelband holding spring).

 

[Zonie]

One of the neat things about owning an old gun like this is to wonder about its history.

Questions like, was it carried during a battle?, did it actually kill anyone or did it just shoot up the countryside when it was used by the army?... who was the first solder who got it when it was new?... what did he think about it?... how many other people during the last 150+ years owned it?... did this gun help to feed a hungry family?... Why did someone cut off the barrel?...
The list goes on and on but I find it fun to think about these things when holding one of my old, original military guns.

 

[Unk]

This is exactly what's the most interesting part for me in such a project. Im not specialized in old weapons (this was my first musket), i also do old instruments and other stuff and normally because it's super interesting to learn about the object's history, how it works, and so on And specially with guns there are so many ways, they could have been used over the years...

 

[Unk]

Ah i forgot, as the caliber is realitivly large (18.4mm) and the barrel is smooth inside it's more likely to be a earlier version than than the M1853, maybe more like the M1841 Version (but there is no side plate opposing the lock, so it's still not exactly dated ).

 

[TFoley]

In case of confunglement - 'piston' = nipple.

 

[Unk]

Thanks for pointing this out. I'm from germany, "Nippel" is mainly used in a somewhat other context here

 

[TFoley]

Genau, das weiss ich schon.