New England militia gun

[rich pierce]

Here’s a typical New England militia gun from the early 1800s. Barrel is 42” and about .69 caliber. It’s in fine condition mechanically. Obviously had had a cleaning and going over in the past 50 years.

[Majorjoel]

Very nice Rich!  It is interesting that this piece keeps many traits of those half stocked N\E rifles and smooth bore guns.   

When you showed the trigger guard picture, the back of my mind was expecting to see that frontal tit that most N\E guns share.  Not there but what is there is very cool indeed!

[Robert Wolfe]

nice. Thanks for posting

[JV Puleo]

A Massachusetts-made barrel, almost certainly by Asa Waters and proved by Luke Harrington. Harrington was the barrel prover in Milbury where the Waters factory was lo0cated. Also, Waters had barrel rolling machinery so was able to produce them in far greater quantity and his military contracts demanded.

[rich pierce]

A Massachusetts-made barrel, almost certainly by Asa Waters and proved by Luke Harrington. Harrington was the barrel prover in Milbury where the Waters factory was lo0cated. Also, Waters had barrel rolling machinery so was able to produce them in far greater quantity and his military contracts demanded.

Thank you!  The lock is an import from England? Guesses on when made? 1820 plus or minus?

[JV Puleo]

Yes...that goes without saying. Unless they were reused from an earlier gun, the locks on NE militia muskets are all English.
I've had several of these at one time or another. The locks are actually huge and may very well have been made for muskets and, thus, for sale in America. They are much bigger than the locks seen on rifles or NE fowlers.

[TDM]

What a great survivor, congratulations Rich!

[DaveM]

Looks very orignal and in super condition!

[Clark Badgett]

Lock looks strangely “Ketlandesque”

[WESTbury]

Rich,

You have a great example of the New England Militia Musket in that particular example, thanks for letting us admire it.

I believe that George Moller was the first person to do a deep dive into the New England produced militia muskets in his 1988 book Massachusetts Military Shoulder Arms published by Mowbray Publishers. Luckily, I still have the copy I bought in'88. That book sent me on a quest to find a good example of one of those muskets.

Kent

[Daryl]

Now "THAT'S  cool. Barrel wedges and not bands.

[JV Puleo]

Rich,

You have a great example of the New England Militia Musket in that particular example, thanks for letting us admire it.

I believe that George Moller was the first person to do a deep dive into the New England produced militia muskets in his 1988 book Massachusetts Military Shoulder Arms published by Mowbray Publishers. Luckily, I still have the copy I bought in'88. That book sent me on a quest to find a good example of one of those muskets.

Kent

Kent, all of the militia muskets in George's book belonged to me...as did most of the rifles. I designed and typeset that book. In fact, I was working on the same project but gave it up when George sent us his MS.

[WESTbury]

Kent, all of the militia muskets in George's book belonged to me...as did most of the rifles. I designed and typeset that book. In fact, I was working on the same project but gave it up when George sent us his MS.

Well, you did an outstanding job Joe. It's a great book, I still refer to it from time to time.

Kent

[rich pierce]

I found a copy of the book and ordered it.

[Curtis]

That is a fantastic wonderful specimen there Rich! Very nice Militia gun!

Curtis

[Tim Crosby]

  Looks like the barrel was thinned from the cap out and the sight was used as a lug. I take it that at one time there was a bayonet fit to this gun. The more I look at it the More I like the looks of it.

   Tim

[JV Puleo]

There was certainly a bayonet. That front sight is also the bayonet lug. These were called "training muskets" and militia muster days were "training days".

[JV Puleo]

Now "THAT'S  cool. Barrel wedges and not bands.

Between 2/3 and 3/4 of them have pinned (or wedge fastened) barrels. The ones with bands were probably made from rejected parts made by the Springfield Armory or the various NE musket contractors. Some have military style locks which may also have been assembled from rejected parts while others have an unusually large B'ham lock but still have bands.