Need help identifying Revolutionary War era musket 🙏

[Benjamin_Martin]

(PICTURES ATTACHED BELOW)

Hey guys, I’m new to this page but have been interested in the history surrounding the Revolution for some time. Recently, I bought what was advertised as a Second Model Brown Bess from a small dealer up in New England. He said he picked it up at an estate sale in Connecticut.

The stock, buttplate, and trigger/triggerguard are all correct for what a Second Model Brown Bess should have, and the dimensions are correct from what I was able to find online. However, there are a few notable differences that caught my eye. First, the musket has the addition of three brass bands along the barrel which are more-so attributed to the Charleville, and their patina makes them look roughly the age of the brass pieces standard for a Bess. Also, on the barrel there are no standard British markings, only a “P” with a star in the center of the loop and a small line separating the rest of the barrel from the thin metal piece that attaches to the screw. The lock was originally flintlock but was converted to percussion, I’m assuming during the Civil War. However, the lock is flat instead of rounded, typical for guns made in the colonies as opposed to ones made in England.

Could this possibly be a Committee of Safety “parts” gun? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nit wit]

Looks like a Charleville to me.What caliber?
Nit Wit

 

[nit wit]

Looks like a Charleville to me.What caliber?
Nit Wit

 

[Sam squanch]

A brown Bess never had barrel bands.

 

[2 shots]

mayde an american restock with french and english parts ??

 

[Benjamin_Martin]

Looks like a Charleville to me.What caliber?
Nit Wit

I’m not exactly sure on the caliber, but the barrel diameter is a little bit smaller than the barrel of my Pedersoli Brown Bess (barely though). The end of the barrel looks like it could have been cut some and the bayonet foresight is only one inch from the end of the barrel as opposed to the Pedersoli having it a little more than two inches away from the end of the barrel.

The musket in question currently has a barrel length of 41.5 in and an overall length of 57 in

 

[Benjamin_Martin]

mayde an american restock with french and english parts ??

Maybe, is that where the “p” on the barrel with a star in the loop comes from? Still mostly confused by that

 

[2 shots]

the P is just a PROOF mark i believe.i would guess the barrel is french, a bess barrel would have a "wedding band" at the breech. also standard 63/66 and 74 charleville's had iron bands. perhaps they are from a marine musket.??

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Maybe, is that where the “p” on the barrel with a star in the loop comes from? Still mostly confused by that

So the Brass barrel bands are not French. French were steel. They are likely German, from a Potzdam musket. So not a committee of safety musket. It could also be bands from a Spanish musket but I'm thinking German. The sideplate also looks German.

LD

 

[Rifleman1776]

Looks like a Charleville to me.What caliber?
Nit Wit

Agree

 

[Sam squanch]

Most probably a put together gun made after the revolution. But maybe saw use in the war of 1812 in a militia. Then percussion converted, that old gun may have shot a lot of game over the years. Still a great example of a frontier gun!

 

[2 shots]

i believe you will find that side plate on many english guns.

 

[rich pierce]

Most probably a put together gun made after the revolution. But maybe saw use in the war of 1812 in a militia. Then percussion converted, that old gun may have shot a lot of game over the years. Still a great example of a frontier gun!

Yes it’s a later gun. Look at that buttplate extension.

 

[Sam squanch]

Did this come from hometown guns?

 

[Clark Badgett]

English side plate and trigger guard, possibly (?) French naval bands and commercial late butt plate. Probably an ad hoc militia musket from who knows when.

 

[Benjamin_Martin]

Did this come from hometown guns?

Yes, why?

 

[Benjamin_Martin]

Yes it’s a later gun. Look at that buttplate extension.

Wdym?

 

[Gtrubicon]

When are you gonna shoot this thing and give us a range report?

 

[rich pierce]

Wdym?

That buttplate top extension (call it the return if you like; the part on the comb) is later than the Revolutionary War era in styling and completely unlike that found on a Brown Bess musket. I’ve seen it only in post-1800 muskets and trade guns and fowlers.

 

[Benjamin_Martin]

That buttplate top extension (call it the return if you like; the part on the comb) is later than the Revolutionary War era in styling and completely unlike that found on a Brown Bess musket. I’ve seen it only in post-1800 muskets and trade guns and fowlers.

Do you mean this brass piece? My Pedersoli Second Model Brown Bess has a pretty similar style