For anyone considering an Indian manufactured Flintlock

[Clark Badgett]

I recently showed my India-made Bess to an experienced re-enactor, and he commented on how nice the lock worked; easy to ****, etc. It was mfg. in the late 1970's or so. Just my take on just one musket I got at auction in the 80's.

Reenactors liking something is not always a ringing endorsement. 9 of 10 of them don’t know much beyond what a vendor tells them.

Most reenacting is merely camping in funny clothing.

 

[Historian]

This thread is over 2 years old! Wow! August 31, 2022. Are we bored.

 

[Grenadier1758]

No, @Historian, we are just getting started. The Indian manufactured guns are not built to the top quality standards of the best of the best of the muzzleloading guns available. They do supply guns that are not available anywhere else. While they are often too heavy, parts don't fit, and some the parts that should be hardened are not, for reenactors that demand equipment that is close to being correct for the era reenacted and want to make a presentation that is well above that of camping in funny clothes, they are the only option that can be acceptable.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Reenactors liking something is not always a ringing endorsement. 9 of 10 of them don’t know much beyond what a vendor tells them.

Most reenacting is merely camping in funny clothing.

I wonder how big was your "sample" to come to such conclusions?

I've owned five, all from Loyalist Arms LLC, and still own and operate four of them. Two carbines, a trade gun, and a 1756 Bess. I don't see a reason to drop more than $1500 for an Italian made musket that would NEVER have been used by whom I portray at a living history event. Excellent wood to metal fit doesn't do much for something that did not exist yet. I did get a deal on a Bess that new would've been $1800 having had $300 worth of additional parts changes to make it look more like the Bess of the time period, a Long Land Bess. I got it used.

The only firing problems I've ever had with the India made product (mine were made in Udaipur) have bee remedied with replacing the flint.

LD

 

[Tumbledown]

That is one thing.
From perdersoli you can get a charley, bess,and several WBTS guns. A fair range of styles of rifles.
From India you can get several bass and charley styles German muskets,Spanish ( look a lot like bess or charley but ain’t) blunderbusses, matchlocks, several shotguns,several fusils. A host of pistols
FDC and NWG,

You can't get a Bess from Pedersoli. They don't make a Long Land Pattern, and their SLP is an inaccurate immitation.

 

[Clark Badgett]

I wonder how big was your "sample" to come to such conclusions?

I've owned five, all from Loyalist Arms LLC, and still own and operate four of them. Two carbines, a trade gun, and a 1756 Bess. I don't see a reason to drop more than $1500 for an Italian made musket that would NEVER have been used by whom I portray at a living history event. Excellent wood to metal fit doesn't do much for something that did not exist yet. I did get a deal on a Bess that new would've been $1800 having had $300 worth of additional parts changes to make it look more like the Bess of the time period, a Long Land Bess. I got it used.

The only firing problems I've ever had with the India made product (mine were made in Udaipur) have bee remedied with replacing the flint.

LD

My sample was quite large. 10 years large, multiple eras. Pulling stuff out of my back side really is not my style.

There are much better options than Indian or Italian muskets, and you have been around long enough to know that.