Building a colonial American militia musket: FINISHED

[smart dog]

Hi,
Attached are a few photos showing a militia musket I am building for a client. It represents what might be made for a NJ militia soldier just prior to the Rev War from old parts salvaged from an old British commercial musket originally purchased by New Jersey prior to the F&I war. It has a 46" 10 gauge Brown Bess barrel on which I will engrave "LONDON WILSON". I made the lock from TRS cast parts but removed all markings. I will engrave "WILSON" on it. All of the brass hardware was hand made or made by heavily modifying modern Bess castings. The gun includes upgrades to a steel ramrod, smaller ramrod thimbles, muzzle cap and a slimmer profile consistent with American-made Rev War muskets I examined in museums and collections. The stock is curly sugar maple logged in Vermont. The figure is moderate but very beautiful. The stock is still roughed out. I'll post more as I finish the gun.

dave

[FALout]

Interesting build.  Good job of altering parts, can't wait to see when it's done.

[Joe S.]

Interesting indeed,should make a fine musket.

[David Rase]

Dave,
I look forward to following your build.  I really love building "American Muskets" from battlefield parts.  It gives the builder a lot of leeway in creating the persona for the gun. 
A little side story, not that I want to hi-jack your thread.  I was at a gun show quite a few years ago showing one of the attendees my musket and explaining to him the pedigree of the build, officers barrel and lock, Brown Bess T/G and pipes, gunsmith provided buttplate etc.  Since I had inscribed "Liberty or Deth" on the top of the barrel I chose to sign my name on the buttplate return in lieu of the officer who was assigned or owned the musket and I dated the gun on the wrist inlay where the rack number of the gun would of been .  All the attendee could focus on was how could I in good conscious take a gun made of battlefield gun parts and then take credit for the build.  He was appalled that I had signed my name to a gun I did not build.  I thought, either I am a pretty good builder or a pretty good story teller.
Dave   

[rich pierce]

That's a big early lock.  Nothing like that commercially available. Keep us posted on the build.  I'm a couple builds away from my militia musket.

[Ed Wenger]

That's cool, Dave!  Lookin' good, and looking forward to seeing the finished musket.


          Ed

[SingleMalt]

I love it!  This is one to follow.

[Keb]

That'll be a great gun when it's finished.

[WKevinD]

I'll be following this build. I have a militia musket plan in my head that I'm starting to gather parts for and making notes for, looking for one of those "Bess" barrels (Tow is out of stock)

Kevin

[deepcreekdale]

Very interesting project, looking forward to following your progress. I am assembling parts etc for a Spanish militia musket as would have been used here in Florida up until the time of the Seminole wars so your project will be fascinating. For every longrifle built in the old days, I bet they built dozens or even of hundreds of guns like this. They just didn't survive as well so we don't see them as much. When I was a kid, you could but a Brown Bess for next to nothing. Sigh, I never bought one.

[n stephenson]

Dave, Looking Good!! I`ve always liked these type of guns. I like the fact that they give the builder the leeway to do something a little different. Keep us posted, there seems to be a lot of interest in your build, I guess a bunch of us like "different" . Keeps it fresh!!     Thanks Nate

[Tim Crosby]

 OMG! I Love it! Can't wait to see it finished.

  Tim

[acorn20]

Now that's an interesting project, Dave!  Looking forward to more updates as work progresses.

[Chowmi]

Dave,
I love it. The shape just seems to evoke that Militia-man's feel. As if I can see a drawing or painting of a militia soldier with it by his side.

Cheers,
Norm

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Looks great.

Cory Joe Stewart

[BOB HILL]

Going to be very nice.     Bob

[smart dog]

Hi and thanks for looking folks,
I am really having fun with this project.  I love to carve, engrave, and inlay, but this project requires little of that.  What it does require is research, research, research, which I dearly love.  I did my homework, which included trips to Fort Ti, West Point Museum, Museum of the American Revolution, Valley Forge, and Washington's Crossing.  I left nose prints on all the glass cases in each place (museum staff got used to following me with a spray bottle of Windex) but also got to see some of the collections close up and first hand.  Today I converted a long land pattern trigger guard to a thinner commercial musket guard.  It was tedious but kind of fun.  Also, because this is a colonial restock, I took a few liberties by slimming it and adding more drop at the heel than typical of Brown Bess muskets.  This baby is a shooter and makes all repro Besses (Pedersoli, Miroku, India-made) feel like you are shooting a 2X4. 

dave   

[runastav]

Nice Kloke Hund!
Runar

[smart dog]

Hi,
I finished shaping and inletting the trigger guard.  For those familiar with Brown Bess guards, you can see how much this guard was simplified and thinned.  It is much weaker than the ordnance version but that is how the commercial musket guards were made.  They were cheaper but weaker.  My pattern is close to one used on those guards.  It is clear from my research that the patterns varied even within shipments so there was no strong standardization. 

dave

[cheyenne]

Looks great so far!!  Have a soft spot for muskets...

[James Rogers]

Neat project!

[smart dog]

Hi,
I did not discuss this previously but after "Hemos" thread about Delft clay casting, I thought I would add this.  I've used Delft clay to cast parts I need since 2009 and it is a very good way to make parts that you likely cannot buy.  Anyway, my lock copies a commercial British Bess lock.  As such, it is a little smaller in all dimensions.  I bought an early convex Brown Bess sideplate from TOW meant to mate with a pattern 1730s Bess lock. My modified lock is sufficiently smaller such that the lock bolt holes no longer fit, which shows how dumb I can be.  I had to downsize the plate a little. I cut off the original plate at the narrow behind the forward lock bolt, shortened the plate to allow for casting shrinkage, soldered the pieces together and used them to make a mold.  Using Dleft clay, I made the mold and cast the part as described by Hemo.  The result was perfect.

dave

[smart dog]

Hi,
Well it is almost ready for stain.  Everything works properly and the trigger pull is about 4.5lbs, about right for a reenactors gun.  I still have to final scrape the stock, stain and finish it,  finish all the screw heads and counter sinking, polish the brass, lock and barrel, fit a bayonet, and solder on the sighting/bayonet lug.  I also have to do a little engraving on the lock, barrel, and butt plate. 

dave

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Wonderful work Dave.  ...going to be a fine piece.  I'm amazed at your ingenuity, and Hemo's.

[n stephenson]

Dave, Very Cool! I like your guard and, the sling hole in it too. Looking good! Nate