India Pattern Brown Bess

[faw3]

Guess I'm getting really dumb in my old age, but can someone tell me what is the "deal" difference then with India Pattern and a India Company made musket"s (ect) Thanks. Fred :hatsoff:

 

[spudnut]

An India pattern Bess is a copy of the last standard incarnation of that weapon. India made are the reproductions currently on the market.

 

[Okwaho]

The India Pattern {commonly called the third model Brown Bess} first came out in the late 18th century as a weapon used by various elements of the East India Company. The Government bought a number of them and later incorporated them in the early 19th century as an official British military musket referred to as the India Pattern musket.The modern name adopted by vendors and reenactors in the 20th century is the so called Third Model Bess.

It has become commonplace primarily for reenactors,to refer to these modern guns made in India,Pakistan{?} and the like as "India made guns, a term somewhat derogatory in meaning.
Tom Patton

 

[palehorse]

How's the quality of the India made flintlocks. I was thinking of buying one for my first flintlock but worry about getting burned with a poorly made repo.

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

Why would some 3rd world worker earning the prestigious sum of 10 rupees per day do poor quality work? In Kandahar quality is job one. The heroin trade ain't what it used to be, thus these nice folks are trying to compete in the global economy by offering an attractively priced product for your satisfaction.

 

[mastrsgt]

Palehorse,

I have an India made musket. 1756 model from Middlesex Village. I also have the Officer's Fusil from North Star West. The MVTC Long Land was half the cost of the fusil. I have only used it for reenactment at this point, but it always sparks well. I have had no misfires or flashes in the pan. The springs and trigger pull are heavier than the fusil but it sparks better.

Overall, it provides a good appearance but could use some weight reduction. Next winter I may strip it down and start scraping the stock to a more accurate appearance. The metal is also a bit to polished for my liking and will probably undergo some ageing.

The inletting seems to me, to be fairly well done. At least equal to a military issue weapon. The brass thimbles are cast and on the heavy or thick side. The front sling swivel is too far forward but this can be corrected.

In the near future I plan on firing some live rounds to see what it will do. I have some .715 round ball that I will try in the musket. I'll let you know how that works out.

MVTC was a pleasure to deal with. I found a distributor not far from my home and was able to get a small discount and save shipping cost.

The NSW musket is a beauty. It is supposed to represent an officer's fusil and there has been much discussion about this musket in the past. It is much lighter and of a smaller scale than the long land. It would be appropriate for use as a Sergeants carbine or possibly a lower ranking officer. There is a very similar example at Ft. Ticonderoga I saw last summer. These were an issue item and also purchased by individuals.

Mine was recovered from the battlefield and that's how I acquired it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The main thing to remember is you get what you pay for. But cheap doesn't necessarily me mean junk.

Don R

 

[Wes/Tex]

If you're referring to the Honorable East India Company, the company had the guns made by the Birmingham gun trade and shipped out to India. Originally, the locks were marked sith a quartered heart and the letter 4 above it. the original contract had a cross above the heart but this is supposed to have been changed to a "4' because of Moslem objections, or so the story goes. When the Napoleonic War cranked up again in 1803, the Ordnance Dept. bought out the existing guns on contract as well as having the HEIC return thousands of muskets due to a shortage of guns not only for the army but militia companies.

The current guns are made in India with teak or rosewood stocks. There were some problems early on but these seem to have been corrected. Most folks seem happy with them although they are a bit "clunky" due to oversized stocks. Most could use the help of a wood file to make them a bit more svelt! :winking:

 

[spudnut]

How's the quality of the India made flintlocks. I was thinking of buying one for my first flintlock but worry about getting burned with a poorly made repo.

I agree with wes/tex with a little work they are pretty nice for the money.I had some of the tension taken out of the trigger pull and the frizzen.I stripped and stress finished the stock and dulled down the shine on the metal.After a while it stopped sparking and I kasinited the frizzen and it works great now.I'm very happy with mine...Mark

 

[faw3]

Thanks for info, and Wes Tex and others too. I should of put East India Comp. One thing ..Im sure they and govt was in bed with each other but how much? Second Ive shot the India or close to it guns, AK47,UZI, and Ger 96 Broomhandle full auto in 45 cal and all worked great. I just got a twin perc smooth 62/20 hand gun that I put in that site here from MVT and am really happy with it, its like the old legal 1920s Ithaca Auto-Burgler that came in 410,20,and 12. It got a double load my kid messed up loading ,loaded the same barrel twice, I thought I had done it...anyway it should of blown one of the 10" barrels but its good as new, cant say same for my hand, the cut open paper sack (big one) was covered in shot. Fred :hatsoff: