Ketland & Co. Blunderbuss

[martiniarms]

Hey guys, here are a few pictures of my new friend, a blunderbuss. All I know of blunderbusses was read in a neat little book by D.R. Baxter. Can anyone help me date this piece? If I touch it with any 'restorative' materials, they'll be bronze wool and some light mineral spirits just to take the edge off the active rust. I don't at this point intend on doing much more than that, mostly because I'd ruin this piece for the next hundred or so years.

The lock is marked Ketland & Co, its a fine little seemingly civilian purchase blunderbuss with a brass barrel and a few nice features. Its a bit beat-up and will need a minor amount of attention to a the lock and barrel tang but thats as far as I think I can go. What appears to have happened is at some point quite some time ago, someone disassembled it and cleaned/buffed/polished or something of the like. The lock is free of pits, but its rather shiny all over...where its not covered in varying amounts of rust most of which looks rather fresh. Most of the pins that hold the various brass bits to the underside were removed and in so doing the stock was very slightly damaged. It is also missing its forward barral wedge. The ramrod has a nice screw on the the end of it. Its got some great engravings across it, but my camera arm was a bit shaky and so I don't think I quite captured all the nicer details well, but oh well. If you can make it out the trigger guard finial is an acorn and what I think to be a rose is on the trigger guard. There is a nice floral motif on the buttplate tang. The sideplate is a really neat plate with a decorative design as well.

And of course the obligatory picture showing the "rifling" :wink:

Just some minor pitting in the bell of the barrel is all.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Ketland and Co. was a Birmingham merchant of guns and accessories. They had a warehouse and retail shop in London and sold guns marked "London" despite having been made in Birmingham. Your gun has Birmingham proof marks on the barrel. It is a nicely made better than average quality gun probably dating to the 1780's or 1790's. The sideplate and carving are especially nice. Hopefully, Joe Puleo may chime in about your gun.


dave

 

[martiniarms]

I was rather hoping he would. I'm really very excited about this piece, and thanks for your information, its much appreciated!

 

[Darkgael]

Martini: What is the title of the book by D.R. Baxter?
The single book that I have is by James D. Forman, "The Blunderbuss: 1500-1900" (ISBN 0-919316-32-8)
Pretty little thumper that you have there.
The straight stock makes me think "military" and, in fact, Foreman has a picture of a brass barreled BB from 1810-1820 that is the twin of yours, except for the butt. The rest of the engraving and brass work, however, does not seem military at all. Yours is more decorated by far.
Pete

 

[matt denison]

That's a nice piece in very good condition for being 200 + years old. I would not describe it as "a bit beat up", as it only has a few handling marks. I don't think it saw a lot of use and no abuse, no cracks or splinters missing.

I agree that the only work to be done is subtle rust arrest, be careful. Thanks for posting it.

 

[rickystl]

Ohhhh, that's a nice looking BB and in great condition!!

I concur with everything Laffindog says.

Usually, you find these with chips or slivers of wood missing, especially near the muzzle. Not in this case. Great find :thumbsup: Congratulations. Wonderful collector piece. Rick.

 

[Coot]

Martini: What is the title of the book by D.R. Baxter?
The single book that I have is by James D. Forman, "The Blunderbuss: 1500-1900" (ISBN 0-919316-32-8)

Pete

Baxter's book is likely "Blunderbusses" by D.R. Baxter published by Stackpole Books in 1970 - SBN 8117-0287-1 hardcover, 78 pages. A nice little book with fairly good illustrations.

 

[martiniarms]

Coot identified it. Its a neat little volume, if a bit expensive and hard to get at now. It does give a very wide-ranging view of the gamut of blunderbusses through the ages, and includes quite a few of the odder variations (revolving blunderbusses, a Volley-gun like pistol with all barrels housed inside a giant blunderbuss barrel, etc). I guess by beat up, I meant 'not-pristine' aside from the rust issue, I've only got a small chip missing which caused the forward barrel wedge to get lost, and if it sees much hard use, it'll probably loose the toe of the stock, as a crack has developed there. It doesn't show well, but it has a very finely figured buttstock.

 

[TFoley]

I was rather hoping he would. I'm really very excited about this piece, and thanks for your information, its much appreciated!

Brass barrel = prolly Naval issue.

tac

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Nicely made civilian Birmingham piece.
Great condition.
The stock pattern seems consistent with other Ketland marked guns of that late period.

 

[curator]

Brownell's "acra-glass" best stock repair going and if done right no evidence remains. I have "glued" together "burled" walnut stocks that were in fragments that looked as new when done.

 

[Darkgael]

Thanks for the info about the Baxter book. I ordered a copy today.
Pete

 

[rickystl]

Curator: Thanks for the tip!!! :hatsoff: Rick.

 

[detent]

Hi unfortunately your pictures are no longer present I would like to have seen them sounds a nice gun. I to have a very similar one by Ketland. Very few blunderbuss are military and haveing anything other than a straight stock would be unusual on a English blunderbuss, sounds like the lock has been over polished I would not use brass on a steel plate as it tends to leave a yellow tinge to the metal which is very hard to remove,Use fine steel wool with oil (not car oil) and just rub gently until you only left with a brown stain where the new rust was then stop and clean oil off and just leave it the natural silver gray will come back to the rest of it eventually.

 

[martiniarms]

Heres some better pictures. The 0000 steel wool and some denatured alcohol did wonders, the rust cleaned up and darkened down very nicely. The only tricky bit was the iron breech plug and tang which I did not remove from the brass barrel. Needed to be real gentle around the brass so as not to damage the patina. I should add that the piece was marked under the barrel with a 'crown over CF' mark, which I am unfamiliar with. Despite the rust, it came apart easily. Very tight and solid piece. Could anyone tell me what the rearmost screw through the sideplate might connect to? It plays no role in securing the lock plate.

 

[detent]

Very nice Gun Better than mine and earlier with that beautiful shell carving behind the barrel tang some envy is creeping here, anyway know I'v stopped druelling It probably had a sling fitting where that extra screw is there normally taken off so they sit better against the wall when displayed if you replace it should be circular type not the modern style.

 

[detent]

I'v been drulleing over your pictures again, that stain just in front of the back barrel key you could probably get rid of that with some oxalic acid but keep it well away from the metal especially the brass dont forget it is poison

 

[martiniarms]

I think I'm going to let it well enough alone for now. I had my doubts about it ever having been fired before I dismantled it; I do think it has been slightly used now (you can see scorch marks on the barrel in the expected place). I have only seen one other Ketland online with a similar style of sideplate, and I've never seen any with a sling-ring mounted, though that seems to be an interesting possibility. Sorry for the yellow hue to all my pictures, lighting in my house is extraordinarily bad.

Oh yes, thanks so much for the kind comments!

 

[rickystl]

Again, great piece. Congratulations! :thumbsup: Rick.