Identify and buy or pass

[Uncle Fester]

Hi all,
I know you are all probably fed up with this but a family friends dad passed away and owned this brown bess, would like to know if anyone can help identify it, suspected replica but looks quite old. I also have the opportunity to acquire it but really need a bit of guidance. type of replica, value....thanks.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

So it's a repro of a 3rd Model or aka India Pattern Bess.

First, it has a reenactor's brass blast shield on the lock. That was never an actual musket lock part

Second, the lock has no engraving. It should be engraved, and show the word "TOWER" as well has a crown between the cock and the frizzen. Plus another very tiny stamp from the inspector.

Third, the stamps are wrong. The Crown with the "BP" is a 20th century Birmingham Proofing mark, for modern propellant testing, after 1904. It appears that somebody thought "BP" meant "black powder" instead of "Birmingham Proof". Further, the Brits don't spell out the charge and the ball weight, they use a code marking system, except in modern, nitro-proofed guns they would list the weight of the shot/ball charge, followed by the word MAX. There is no stamp of "MAX" showing. (this is a black powder only gun btw)

It does bear an actual proofing stamp:

But this stamp is for black powder only while the crown with BP

is for modern powder.

So I think the proper stamp above is also a faux proofing stamp.

In conclusion, send us photos of the bore. Can't value it without that.

You likely have the opportunity to get a nice, hard hitting, smoothbore musket, that may be used for upland game and/or deer. AND if the bore is in decent shape, you have no worries about harming a museum piece, eh?

LD

 

[hawkeye2]

The load being stamped on the barrel is typical of Indian practice for guns that were proved there but it's possible it could have come from elsewhere. I notice the breech plug is the same diameter as the barrel (see the line where they meet) which I have seen on another Indian made Bess. The tang is way above the wood around it and would need to be bent and reinletted. If I could buy it cheap I would rework it into a Committee of Safety musket and that would cover the issues of it being only a mediocre reproduction but it would need a good bore as well as a good functioning and sparking lock. A new one can be bought for $600 US so I wouldn't give much for this one.

https://www.militaryheritage.com/musket1.htm

 

[OLUT]

I bought the same replica "India Pattern" gun at auction inexpensively years ago. My Birmingham proof mark is from 1995. I can't see the first letter on the posted gun's proof to date it. Mine has a clean bore, sparks well and is surprisingly accurate at 50 yards. It's not an original 1800's gun, so I don't mind shooting it. So, enjoy yours....