Committee of Safety musket?

[Flintandsmoke]

I bought this at the CLA billed as a bess barrel in a committee of safety musket with a NJ maker on the lock, Thomas Annely was a well know NJ gun maker, can anyone help me ID this? It has no british proof markings on the barrel yet its stamped “42” and shows signs of having had, at one point a bayonet or

 

[Flintandsmoke]

 

[Flintandsmoke]

 

[hawkeye2]

Lack of sling swivels, checkering on the wrist, it just doesn't look right to me.

 

[rich pierce]

There are a number of things here I do not expect. One is the use of a stirrup linkage between tumbler and mainspring. The checkering has been mentioned as well.

 

[Tumbledown]

Lack of sling swivels, checkering on the wrist, it just doesn't look right to me.

Americans tended to dislike slings.

 

[Tumbledown]

I don't feel so bad anymore about my drill wandering off. Turns out it's historically accurate.

 

[oldsarge79]

What caliber is this and does it seem just a little smaller and more lightweight than a normal musket of that period?
In other words, could it be an officer's fusil? That might explain the checkering.

What I'm seeing on-line is that Annely made longarms in New Jersey between 1770 and 1777. Then, for a couple of years, 1797-1798, he made pistols for Pennsylvania. I can only assume that what I'm seeing on-line is accurate.

 

[Flintandsmoke]

What caliber is this and does it seem just a little smaller and more lightweight than a normal musket of that period?
In other words, could it be an officer's fusil? That might explain the checkering.

What I'm seeing on-line is that Annely made longarms in New Jersey between 1770 and 1777. Then, for a couple of years, 1797-1798, he made pistols for Pennsylvania. I can only assume that what I'm seeing on-line is accurate.

I’m waiting on a caliber gauge, but based on the similarities to a friend’s bess, I’m fairly confident in saying its “the kings gauge” and .75 caliber. However its lack of proof marks makes me question it. Its a 12.5 length of pull, the checkering appears to match the stock as does the brass furniture. In that, I suspect it was done at the same time.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Wow!!!’

 

[Flintandsmoke]

Wow!!!’

Its a neat piece for sure

 

[Flintandsmoke]

View attachment 244976View attachment 244977
I don't feel so bad anymore about my drill wandering off. Turns out it's historically accurate.

That was actually a topic of conversation at the CLA, the folks we now view as masters rarely did anything “perfectly” as we view it.

 

[Conquerordie]

I've been told by an arms restorer that Annely guns used to be some of the most faked guns out there. Not that the parts aren't original, but that the name faked. I guess the checkering could have been added later, but something just isn't right there. I once saw an Annely marked long Fowler at the Hartford Arms show in Connecticut. I asked this gentleman who restores these guns to take a look, and he said.... walk away!

 

[Flintandsmoke]

I've been told by an arms restorer that Annely guns used to be some of the most faked guns out there. Not that the parts aren't original, but that the name faked. I guess the checkering could have been added later, but something just isn't right there. I once saw an Annely marked long Fowler at the Hartford Arms show in Connecticut. I asked this gentleman who restores these guns to take a look, and he said.... walk away!

Interesting…

 

[PathfinderNC]

If there was anything that. To me, might seem askew with this musket as I see it’s, it’s the condition of the stock. It looks old, certainly, but the way the stock finish is so well preserved is amazing. Nonetheless this looks like an amazing gun.

 

[FlinterNick]

for sure not a Revolutionary War Committee of Safety musket.

The lock is a late second model lock that looks like a private contract lock.

The internals on the lock like they’ve been updated or upgraded at some point with an attempted sliding safety that looks like it was never completed.

Hardware looks handmade.

Possible militia musket after 1800.

 

[52Bore]

I don't feel so bad anymore about my drill wandering off. Turns out it's historically accurate.

What’s correct about a misaligned drill/hole?
Other than poor gunmaking?

 

[Conquerordie]

What’s correct about a misaligned drill/hole?
Other than poor gunmaking?

Or it was made by a gunsmith in a poorly lit shop, using tools that some would say are primitive to what most builders use today. But it's probably poor gunmaking.

We can't judge an original piece with our exacting standards we use today. They didn't think that way when building. The pin not perfectly aligned that might kill a modern day gunsmith today wasn't even cared about back then.