« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket  (Read 4994 times)

Offline Dstavlo

  • Starting Member
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« on: July 26, 2016, 05:39:43 PM »
Hi Everyone,
I saw the thread on converting a Brown Bess to a Committee of Safety
Musket and figured I would post some pictures of one that I just
finished up. I copied it from an original found in Neumann's BATTLE
WEAPONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

This musket started out life as a Pedersoli Brown Bess that I picked up
at a gun show last year. I removed all the markings from the lock, cock,
and top jaw and re-shaped the cock and frizzen spring finial.

I planed the "swell" from the forend and re-cut lock moldings,
eliminating the brown bess "tear job" finials. I also re-shaped the
molding around the tang gave the whole stock a general once-over to even
out any lumps and bumps from Italy.

I engraved the wrist escutcheon with an English regimental marking to
give it the appearance of having had a "past-life" on an English-owned
Brown Bess. I also put a false wood screw in it - a feature I've seen on
many originals.

I antiqued all the metal components and the stock to so I didn't have
to spend hours re-polishing steel and brass every time I shot it.

-David

















« Last Edit: January 21, 2020, 01:41:46 AM by Tim Crosby »
Logged

Offline grabenkater

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 414
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2016, 06:51:20 PM »
I'm currently in the early stages of the same project. I hoping that mine turns out half as nice as yours.
Logged
When a nation forgets her skill in war, when her religion becomes a mockery, when the whole nation becomes a nation of money-grabbers, then the wild tribes, the barbarians drive in... Who will our invaders be? From whence will they come?

Offline Mike Brooks

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13415
    • Mike Brooks Gunmaker
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2016, 06:57:56 PM »
Nice job and well done. Any reason you decided to put the wrist escutcheon on upside down?
Logged
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Cory Joe Stewart

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1862
    • My etsy shop
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2016, 07:22:38 PM »
Well done.  I really like the metal finish you achieved.
Logged

mattdog

  • Guest
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2016, 07:27:43 PM »
I like it. Now I want one....

I'm also puzzled about the medallion being upside down, or downside up.  It is so obvious, there must be a reason. 
Logged

Offline art riser

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 438
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2016, 07:48:29 PM »
Logged

Offline Dstavlo

  • Starting Member
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2016, 11:02:08 PM »
Thanks for the kind words everybody. Regarding the wrist escutcheon: While researching the project I had a chance to look over an original owned by a local collector. The wrist escutcheon was installed upside down on that piece and I thought it would be a nice bit of "character" to replicate that feature on this one. You'll notice that I made sure to engrave the British Regimental markings "right side up" though,  ;).

 My assumption is the builder of the original musket either wasn't aware of/didn't care about the correct orientation of the escutcheon plate and put it the wrong way.

Since I built this one from a partially assembled Pedersoli kit from the '80s, I had the freedom to cut the mortise upside down since it's previous owner never got that far in assembling it.
Logged

Offline bones92

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1191
  • I'm broke, and I blame Mike Brooks!
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2016, 11:40:10 PM »
Very cool. 
Logged
If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Offline Ed Wenger

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2457
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2016, 03:41:08 AM »
Very cool...  I just finished a similar project.   Did you have any problems with filing off the lock engraving?  By problems I refer to lock plate thickness.  The plate on the Pedersoli Bess I worked on was thin to begin with, and I was concerned about how thin it might get after filing out the deep engraving.  Just wondered if you had any issues...


          Ed
Logged
Ed Wenger

Offline SingleMalt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 613
  • One day I'll be considered a good builder.
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2016, 05:39:47 AM »
I like it.  It looks like a musket found somewhere after hiding for 240 years.  I'm starting to collect parts for a 1730/40 Brown Bess. 
Logged
Never drink whisky that isn't old enough to vote.

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."- Plato

"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."

Offline B Shipman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1928
    • W.G. Shipman Gunmaker
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2016, 05:58:44 AM »
Kudos. Like it.
Logged

Offline Keithbatt

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 127
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #11 on: July 27, 2016, 06:22:19 AM »
Makes me want to work on my Pedersoli Bess. Thanks for posting.
Logged

Offline Dstavlo

  • Starting Member
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2016, 12:04:30 AM »
Quote from: Ed Wenger on July 27, 2016, 03:41:08 AM
Very cool...  I just finished a similar project.   Did you have any problems with filing off the lock engraving?  By problems I refer to lock plate thickness.  The plate on the Pedersoli Bess I worked on was thin to begin with, and I was concerned about how thin it might get after filing out the deep engraving.  Just wondered if you had any issues...


          Ed

Funny you should mention it, but I did run into some issues with filing off the engraving. The engraving was cast so deep that by the time I had removed all of it, I had broken through into the sear spring slot. I had to weld it back up and dress everything back down. Other than that it was just a lot of elbow grease.

-David
Logged

Offline Ed Wenger

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2457
Re: Newly Finished Committee of Safety Musket
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2016, 05:10:00 AM »
Thanks for the reply, David.  Something like that was my fear...   Good save on your part, it looks great.  Since the one I did was someone else's musket, I decided to leave it alone and do a COS musket with a "reclaimed" British lock....  Thanks again.


       Ed
Logged
Ed Wenger
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »