Question about Revolutionary US rifle

[Shakydog]

Hope I'm posting this in the right spot, Im looking to ad a 1775 to 1790 us original rifle and would like to know what model's I should be looking for, I inherited quite a few civil war guns that were in the family and I had a great great grand dad that was in the revolution and always wanted to get something he would have used in the continental army Thanks

 

[64Springer]

French Charleville musket in .69 caliber.

Loads of fun.

A bullet the size of your thumb.

And a lock as big as your......... Though some locks are bigger than others. Or was that spears? I forgets.

 

[nchawkeye]

On the Continental Line, he probably had a musket, if militia, maybe a musket, rifle or fowling piece..Do you know anything about where he lived and if he was regular army or militia?

 

[Shakydog]

Is that the gun most used ? were there any US made rifles

 

[64Springer]

Is that the gun most used ? were there any US made rifles

I believe the first standard U.S. musket was the 1795 Springfield patterned after the French Charleville.

 

[Shakydog]

On the Continental Line, he probably had a musket, if militia, maybe a musket, rifle or fowling piece..Do you know anything about where he lived and if he was regular army or militia?

yes I believe he was in Conn and Ill have to check with my brother he's the family historian I think he has his military info

 

[Shakydog]

I believe the first standard U.S. musket was the 1795 Springfield patterned after the French Charleville.

ok Thanks

 

[nchawkeye]

Ok, that helps, rifles during the Revolutionary War period were not common in Connecticut ...They were more common on the frontier of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North and South Carolina...He would more than likely have a Brown Bess, which were made in England, a locally made fowling piece (shotgun in today's language), as mentioned a French made Charleville musket or a musket made by a local gunsmith who had a contract with the Committee of Safety...Muskets were weapons for war and a bayonet could be attached...Fowling pieces and rifles were considered hunting arms and were not made to have a bayonet attached to them...The theory at the time was that a smooth bored musket could be loaded much more quickly than a rifle which used a tightly fitting patched round ball for more accuracy...

 

[Shakydog]

when I get the info on him I'll post it

 

[D.Summers]

The Charleville was a very common gun. A lot of them were in the colonies after the French and Indian war. Quite a few more than the British Brown Bess.

 

[Tumbledown]

Brown Bess: 1st Model Long Land Pattern, with a metal rammer and brass nosecap. The Short Land Patterns were very uncommon in the hands of the Brits, and even less so for Americans.

The Charleville would have been pre-1769 models. Many would be the 1728/46 versions, either from inventory captured during the F&I War, or obtained from France early in the Revolution.

If you're looking for an original, good luck. Expect to pay multiple thousands of dollars for an authentic Revolutionary War musket.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Rifles used by Americans in the Revolution were civilian guns and there was no government issue except at times states would acquire or confiscate rifles to be issued to rifle units. If you find an American rifle with documented Rev War provenance, expect to pay a lot for it. Early in the war, soldiers and militiamen from Connecticut could have carried a variety of smooth bored guns. Civilian fowlers by British and New England makers would be found. If he was from western Conn. he might have a fowler or musket made by the Hills family in Goshen. He also could carry an older French musket from the F&I war such as the model 1728 or possibly a French hunting gun converted to a musket such as those made in Tulle, France. He might have carried an older pattern long land Brown Bess musket such as a pattern 1730/40 or 1742. Some pattern 1756s might be found in America from Pontiac's rebellion but the vast majority arrived with British troops in the 1770s. Brown Besses were owned by the Crown or by colonial governments and returned to government stores when active service was no longer required. Consequently, there were probably few Brown Besses circulating among civilians except those salvaged for parts and rebuilt. They would be available to Americans after colonial armories were captured and the arms issued to militia and soldiers. Later in the war, many French arms were available. Most would be model 1763 and 1766 muskets with the lighter 1766 predominating. Some later variants would also be found. Not all of those guns would be made at Charleville. Some would come from the biggest French arsenal, St. Etienne and Maubeuge. Pattern 1756 long land British muskets would also be available from supplies of captured arms and eventually some pattern 1769 and 1777 short land Brown Besses would also be available from captured stores. You have to be very careful about provenance because many families have "old flintlock muskets used in the Rev War" that actually are militia muskets made in the 1800s.

dave

dave

 

[Kabulrocks]

I’m looking for similar info regarding the Marbelheaders. I suspect they were armed much like what dave_person detailed?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Continental_Regiment

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I would say there was no standard US Army contract rifle until 1803 at Harper's Ferry.
Everything before that was piece meal.

 

[springfield art]

Hope I'm posting this in the right spot, Im looking to ad a 1775 to 1790 us original rifle and would like to know what model's I should be looking for, I inherited quite a few civil war guns that were in the family and I had a great great grand dad that was in the revolution and always wanted to get something he would have used in the continental army Thanks

Charleville or Brown Bess

 

[oreclan]

Is that the gun most used ? were there any US made rifles

Yes and yes.
Mostly rifles were from southeastern Pennsylvania or Virginia.
For a modern made replica Jim Kibler Longrifles makes two easy to put together kits with the characteristics of Revolutionary War rifles i.e. the Woodsrunner and the Colonial rifles.
I own several and either will fit the bill.
My 5 ancestors who fought as militia and scouts from New Jersey to Western Pennsylvania, I'm sure would have been proud to carry one of these.
Pedersoli makes a decent short land pattern British replica musket.
The Rifle Shop makes "kits" for many other period types, but are backed up on orders especially assembled flintlocks.

 

[oreclan]

Hi,
Rifles used by Americans in the Revolution were civilian guns and there was no government issue except at times states would acquire or confiscate rifles to be issued to rifle units. If you find an American rifle with documented Rev War provenance, expect to pay a lot for it. Early in the war, soldiers and militiamen from Connecticut could have carried a variety of smooth bored guns. Civilian fowlers by British and New England makers would be found. If he was from western Conn. he might have a fowler or musket made by the Hills family in Goshen. He also could carry an older French musket from the F&I war such as the model 1728 or possibly a French hunting gun converted to a musket such as those made in Tulle, France. He might have carried an older pattern long land Brown Bess musket such as a pattern 1730/40 or 1742. Some pattern 1756s might be found in America from Pontiac's rebellion but the vast majority arrived with British troops in the 1770s. Brown Besses were owned by the Crown or by colonial governments and returned to government stores when active service was no longer required. Consequently, there were probably few Brown Besses circulating among civilians except those salvaged for parts and rebuilt. They would be available to Americans after colonial armories were captured and the arms issued to militia and soldiers. Later in the war, many French arms were available. Most would be model 1763 and 1766 muskets with the lighter 1766 predominating. Some later variants would also be found. Not all of those guns would be made at Charleville. Some would come from the biggest French arsenal, St. Etienne and Maubeuge. Pattern 1756 long land British muskets would also be available from supplies of captured arms and eventually some pattern 1769 and 1777 short land Brown Besses would also be available from captured stores. You have to be very careful about provenance because many families have "old flintlock muskets used in the Rev War" that actually are militia muskets made in the 1800s.

dave

dave

Very well stated. I agree with all you have said, Dave.

 

[springfield art]

I initially missed the word "rifle"; was only thinking about muskets. Sorry.

 

[sturmkatze]

Hi,
Rifles used by Americans in the Revolution were civilian guns and there was no government issue except at times states would acquire or confiscate rifles to be issued to rifle units. If you find an American rifle with documented Rev War provenance, expect to pay a lot for it. Early in the war, soldiers and militiamen from Connecticut could have carried a variety of smooth bored guns. Civilian fowlers by British and New England makers would be found. If he was from western Conn. he might have a fowler or musket made by the Hills family in Goshen. He also could carry an older French musket from the F&I war such as the model 1728 or possibly a French hunting gun converted to a musket such as those made in Tulle, France. He might have carried an older pattern long land Brown Bess musket such as a pattern 1730/40 or 1742. Some pattern 1756s might be found in America from Pontiac's rebellion but the vast majority arrived with British troops in the 1770s. Brown Besses were owned by the Crown or by colonial governments and returned to government stores when active service was no longer required. Consequently, there were probably few Brown Besses circulating among civilians except those salvaged for parts and rebuilt. They would be available to Americans after colonial armories were captured and the arms issued to militia and soldiers. Later in the war, many French arms were available. Most would be model 1763 and 1766 muskets with the lighter 1766 predominating. Some later variants would also be found. Not all of those guns would be made at Charleville. Some would come from the biggest French arsenal, St. Etienne and Maubeuge. Pattern 1756 long land British muskets would also be available from supplies of captured arms and eventually some pattern 1769 and 1777 short land Brown Besses would also be available from captured stores. You have to be very careful about provenance because many families have "old flintlock muskets used in the Rev War" that actually are militia muskets made in the 1800s.

dave

dave

So what modern repro would be right for him?

 

[Paul-in-PA]

I think you need to do more research on your "great great grand dad that was in the revolution", as weapons changed over time during the war. The American Revolution can be broken down into Early - Pre-1777 - Mid- 1777 til 1778 Late - 1779 til1781

• Early war or what is sometimes called the New England & New York Campaigns
  • Common civilian smoothbores & fowlers, Committee of Safety muskets, Brown Bess, and older French musket from the F&I war such as the model 1728
  • Rifles are a Pennsylvania / Maryland / Virginia / Carolinas thing
• Mid War - The Battles in New Jersey, Capture of Philadelphia, Valley Forge and Monmouth
  • After the battle of Saratoga in 1777, large number of French 1763 or 1766 Charleville muskets start making their way to the Continental Army
  • Captured German Muskets from the battles of Trenton and Princeton
  • Committee of Safety muskets, and Brown Bess
• Late War, the Southern Campaigns ending with Yorktown
  • I would say the French 1763 or 1766 Charleville or a Brown Bess muskets

Brown Bess patterns would have been most likely Long Land from the Royal Colonial Armories,
Committee of Safety muskets, would have been locally made with little conformity between makers, based off of a list of specifications closely looking like a Brown Bess. Things like caliber, barrel length, bayonet lug & bayonet, locks would be very similar to an English round faced,

Older French musket from the F&I war such as the model 1728, were captured and given to the Colonial governments as reserve weapons for their armories, Some were kept by F&I Colonial troops and passed down or rebuilt by local gunsmiths,

Rifles are a more specific tool and more regionalized firearm of the period.

Fowlers or smoothbores, were also very regionalized. The are French, Dutch, and British styles. Western New York, Maine and Western PA may see more French styles. Eastern PA and New Jersey more English influence. The Hudson Valley and areas surround New York City Dutch.

So again, there is no one size fits all as there was nothing like a single War Department equipping units. Each State or Colony was responsible for equipping their units if possible. That is what makes the French Alliance so important, the French provide a logistical base to manufacture uniforms and arms that result in standardization in the Continental Army.

What I will say is if you are looking for a modern reproduction, stay away from the Indian or Pakistani pieces whish are not proofed. A Perdersoli Brown Bess or Charleville are acceptable representatives of period muskets. There are many fowlers and smoothbores out there, as well as rifles; but research is important as there is a lot of difference between an 19th century flintlock and a 18th century one.