Musician's Rifle

[Tom Currie]

I am looking for photo's and info on the early rifle known as the Musician's rifle. I believe some were published in MB, I think in Wallace Gusler's articles several years back but haven't been able to find them. 

Thanks

[flintriflesmith]

Tom,
This rifle is in a private family collection and pictures have been hard to come by. Permission to publish them even harder.

If I remember correctly Wallace's article only showed a bit of the patch box & engraving.

Gary

[rich pierce]

He also compared the carving on the musician's rifle to 42 etc.  Musician's rifle appeared in several articles by Wallace Gusler, bits and pieces but overall, quite a bit of detail.  Thank you Wallace!  In not every case does he say, "musician's rifle" but when he says Pennsylvania rifle 1755-60, I can hear what he's saying.

Here is where you can find these photos and details on the construction etc:

Muzzle Blasts
November 2003, buttplate view, pg 49, nosecap pg 50
March 2005: patchbox pg 55, p'box open, page 56
July 2005 patchbox side pg 5, wrist carving page 6

Call the NMLRA office.  They often have back issues.

[Tom Currie]

Thanks guys. I should have those issues. Gotta dig a little deeper.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Tom - the rifle has Moravian associations and a scratched date on the otherwise wonderfully-engraved box lid of "1756 / NJ"  There is no reason to believe that this marking is suspicious and frankly given the family history it is almost certainly authentic.  What is very interesting is that at this very time - F/I War period - the Moravians at Bethlehem seem to have been conducting trade with ironworks in NJ right across the river from the Easton area (and later set up a town at Hope), and there were a number of F/I forts set up in north Jersey so I'd think that there is a strong possibility (especially given the rifle has provision for sling hangers) that an owner was campaigning in NJ and scratched the date/location on the gun.  The barrel is similar to the MArshall rifle barrel, seven grooves w/ rings at the muzzle and the nosepiece is attached directly to the barrel with provision in the inlet for movement exactly as per the Marshall gun and #42.  Wallace's pictures illustrate the spectacular engraving in European style which covers the buttplate, guard, sideplate, box lid and entry pipe.  The lock I believe to be a German lock with a maker's signature upon it, very similar to Marshall lock but without the fancy engraving.  The carving is quite fine and carries very similar elements in relation to RCA #17, the MArshall rifle and #42, 43.  Short of blowing the cork out of some folks heads (hahaha) and just putting photos out there, if you take a look at my website at my interpretational '1750s rifle,' (the rifle in my little avatar pic w/ the SG in fact) my cheek carving and cheek shaping w/ rear step is about 99% identical (I added one little extra upwards-reaching squiggle behind the cheek) and the tang carving is identical.  The rest of my carving is at @ 95% the same - I very slightly changed some lines to suit the rifle I built.  The single line lower butt molding does not carry into the buttplate and I think there's a faint remnant of a scribed centerline along the rear of the comb coming from the buttplate.  At one point someone stuck a bunch of brass tacks on the original rifle.  It is a straight-stock, no step, very nice curly maple.  Fortunately it's all original.  One day I assume photos will be published.  Sorry to only be able to point you towards something interpretational I made, for the moment!

[Tom Currie]

Thanks Eric. I knew the Musicians rifle was one of rifles that inspired your 1750 build but but did not know to what extent. Patch box design is sort of evident was unsure about the carving. I reviewed the MB aticles mentioned by Rich Pierce last night but of course there is no cheekpiece picture in the article so this helps fill in the blanks for me. I am always thinking about future builds and the Moravian rifles and other early rifles always at the top of my list.