Best Period Military Musket

[nightwolf1974]

Looking to get back into collecting and shooting BP guns, after losing all of mine in a house fire.
What is the best military musket reproduction for the F/I War time period to get and shoot?

 

[Alden]

I would suggest the one most, more than all others combined, choose. Decade after decade. For a couple of generations now.

 

[nwtradegun]

pedrosoli copy of a brown bess. stay away from the india made guns.

 

[Grenadier1758]

This is all dependent on just how historically correct you want this musket to represent the French and Indian War and what country you want that musket from.

On the British side, the military musket used was the Long Land Pattern First Model. The Pedersoli, while a good functioning musket, is a Short Land Pattern the represents a musket from the end of the AWI. The best Long Land Pattern would be one built from parts obtained from the Rifle Shoppe.

The best musket for the F&I War from the French side would be the M1717 also built from Rifle Shoppe parts.

Research is in order to determine which of the specific variants would be appropriate for your use.

I also think that a musket from Loyalist Arms, made in India, can be an acceptable choice. These at least have had some cursory inspection for quality and minor tuning for function. I have two Loyalist Arms firearms. One is a Long Land Pattern of the 1730 (wood rammer, no nose cap and unbridled lock) and the other is a sergeant's or officer's fusil. Both are solid well functioning guns that are acceptable for F&I.

 

[larryp]

You could also go with something a little different and get an officer's style musket. http://www.northstarwest.com/products/officers-model-musket

 

[JohnN]

If you want the best for accuracy The Rifle Shoppe is the place to go. For shooting I would go with one of the smaller caliber guns.

 

[spudnut]

I have owned a few India made guns all from Middlesex village and have been happy with them hough they did need a little work to make em easier to shoot,That said I also have a 1st model bess from the old narregansett arms which Ive been told was made from TRS parts and the India guns spark better and go off better.
TRS parts take a long time to get sometimes too

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Since the question was for the F&I...the Pedersoli Bess is Off The List .

The best....

If you want the best for accuracy The Rifle Shoppe is the place to go.

This is correct. The Track of The Wolf 1st model is also just fine, as I believe most of the parts are Rifle Shoppe parts.

LD

 

[Alden]

Track will be introducing some mass parts availability via CNC, etc., a la Shoppe in the future. News at eleven.

 

[nightwolf1974]

I think for a "shooter" I'm going to get a M1717 kit from The Rifle Shoppe. Track of the Wolf has them at half the cost and done, but made in India. The guy I talked to at Track of the Wolf was pretty vague about their's being shooters.

I had my heart set on something that would be correct Rogers Rangers, but can't find a good match for a musket.

 

[Artificer]

I had my heart set on something that would be correct Rogers Rangers, but can't find a good match for a musket.

Not meaning to go way off topic, but what would be correct for a member of Rogers Rangers could vary a great deal. In the early years of the FIW, it could have been a civilian fowler or a non standard Musket "built for the Trade" by civilian makers such as Wilson, or a previously captured French Musket or an older Pattern P1730 British musket from colonial stores or maybe even a P1742 Musket or P1756 Carbine in small quantities.

With the fall of Fort Louisbourg on 26 July 1758, the British/Americans must have been shocked to find it had been a supply Arsenal, as they found around 15,000 French Arms there. French Models captured seem to have been 1717's, 1728's and even some 1747's. The British issued these muskets to their own Regular Light Infantry and British Provincial Units such as Rogers Rangers, as needed.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

You could also go with something a little different and get an officer's style musket. http://www.northstarwest.com/products/officers-model-musket[/quote]

nightwolf1974,

With the above information in mind and if you like the gun mentioned by larryp in the quoted earlier post above, that gun would also be correct for an Enlisted Soldier or Officer in Roger's Rangers.

Gus

 

[nightwolf1974]

You could also go with something a little different and get an officer's style musket. http://www.northstarwest.com/products/officers-model-musket[/quote]

nightwolf1974,

With the above information in mind and if you like the gun mentioned by larryp in the quoted earlier post above, that gun would also be correct for an Enlisted Soldier or Officer in Roger's Rangers.

Gus

I actually look at this once...couldn't find a mold to cast or any round balls for sale in that caliber.

 

[Artificer]

Not trying to push you towards that gun, as style and caliber of the gun is entirely your choice, just wanted to let you know options for it.

.648" Round balls, http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/197/1/BALL-648-X

Jeff Tanner will make a mold closer to .668" if you prefer,
http://www.jt-bullet-moulds.co.uk/moulds.html

Gus

 

[Artificer]

Another gun correct for Rogers Rangers in smaller calibers and barrel lengths of 30", 36" and 41":
http://www.northstarwest.com/products/early-english-trade-gun

Gus

 

[Grenadier1758]

Considering the haul of muskets from the capture of Louisburg in 1757, a French 1717 issued to irregular troops is quite likely.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I like to be different, which is why I hunt and shoot muzzleloaders, and why I reenact. (No golf for me.) Even with the reenactment community, I play a Loyalist, which when I started in the mid 90's to do that impression...it was different. So Yeah, IF I was doing a Ranger in New York or New England from a unit that historically had access to "odd", non-English military muskets, I'd get me one of those, as sooo many other folks would have whatever was the cookie-cutter-version gun.

LD

 

[nightwolf1974]

Not trying to push you towards that gun, as style and caliber of the gun is entirely your choice, just wanted to let you know options for it.

.648" Round balls, http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/197/1/BALL-648-X

Jeff Tanner will make a mold closer to .668" if you prefer,
http://www.jt-bullet-moulds.co.uk/moulds.html

Gus

DUDE........THANKS!!!! :hatsoff:

 

[nightwolf1974]

Well, I'm definitely getting a M1717 musket kit from The Rifle Shoppe next year. And I'm going to look closer at Officer's Musket from Northstar West.

This time around, I want to try out flintlocks more. :thumbsup:

 

[satwel]

I believe the English Fowler/Officer's Fusil that Jim Chambers sells is correct for F&IW. I'm finishing one right now. It's a great kit.
http://www.flintlocks.com/rifles05.htm