Brown Bess: shortened

[Gaeckle]

Came across an India Pattern Brown Bess, made by Hadley. It's of carbine length. Any knowledge of these being used as sea service weapons, boarding arms of what not? The lock is a Tower and sparks like crazy, it is quite a neat lock. Proofs are clearly evident as is the broad arrow marks. Anybody know?

[Hungry Horse]

Some of these saw service with the Mexican army in Texas. Those that weren’t captured probably went back home with the soldiers. Many of these got shortened, and used for shotguns. The majority of those bought by the Mexican government had ribbed frizzen.

  Hungry Horse

[smart dog]

Hi,
Some photos would be nice.  I wonder which Hadley because the most famous, Henry, died before the India pattern was made. There is at least one Hadley listed in Birmingham that might be the maker.  The British navy had their own patterns of arms so it is unlikely it was used at sea. 

dave

[Hungry Horse]

Were’nt the sea service models painted instead of more traditional finishes?

  Hungry Horse

[smart dog]

Hi HH,
They were issued both "bright and black".  There was a reason for the two types but I cannot remember it.

dave

[backsplash75]

Hi HH,
They were issued both "bright and black".  There was a reason for the two types but I cannot remember it.

dave

Bright = bayonet
Black = no bayonet

eta what is "carbine length"?

[Daryl]

I thought the blackened guns were for sea service & the "Jananning" (don't know why called that) was to protect against salt spray/vapour.

[T*O*F]

I thought the blackened guns were for sea service & the "Jananning" (don't know why called that) was to protect against salt spray/vapour.

It's Japanning which is essentially a baked on asphaltum finish to protect against salt water damage.  Today the term has become known as a shiny black lacquered finish on wood and other materials.

[Bill Weedman]

I have an original flint third model Bess with a stamp on the stock and a 1805 date. It is fairly short and I never thought about a carbine length Bess as it came off the Crow reservation over 50 years ago. It doesn’t look like some of the recovered Indian guns that appear to have been been crudely cut off. Interesting old flinter that I am surprised survived in the condition it is in.

[Levy]

I worked on a short Bess barrel that was excavated near the city gates in St. Augustine, FL.  It was probably only a couple of feet long and still loaded with pieces of clipped up lead.  Only the barrel was found.  I suspect it was cut off that way due to the fact that it was still loaded.  Corrosion at the muzzle made it difficult to tell.  James Levy