To me, the term reproduction has an obvious clear meaning: modern made, not from the period, of no historical importance or interest.
I get what you are saying, and I will agree that some of the reproductions are very nice, beautiful even, but they are still reproductions. For me I have zero interest in a musket made in 2021, no matter how nice it is, I’ll acknowledge it as art, but not as an original. It may be made in the same way as the originals, but it’s still a 2021 product, an anachronistic one, but a new made item just the same. I have no interest in a new made item.
I want this for historical value so a reproduction has zero interest to me. If I wanted art then sure I would get a new one, if I wanted a shooter, I would get a new one, if I were a reenactor I would get a new one, but I am not looking for any of those things. Yes I want it to be able to shoot, but that is not what I am getting it for, I am getting it for the history, if it shoots well that is a bonus.
I asked a simple question, while I appreciate the input everyone had been too focussed attempting to convince me to but a repro than actually answering the question.
You may not mind a repro, you may not see the difference between a repro and the real thing, you may feel that a musket made in 2021 is the same thing as one made in 1780 but I do not, I think the one made in 1780 is significantly different than the one made in 2021, it has history, the 2021 does not. I am looking for history, I can’t get that with a repro, please feel free to disagree with me but do not attempt to convince me to just buy a repro, I do not want one, I am not interested in one, and I will not buy one, I want the original, that’s all. If I had my druthers I would buy a 100% complete original with no repro parts at all but I cannot afford one, this is a compromise.
If someone went in to the National Archives and removed the original copy of the Constitution and replaced it with a hand made beautifully done near indistinguishable forgery made by a master forger would you claim it was the same as the original? Or would the original have value to you beyond it’s physical qualities? I want the original, not the forgery and I want the historic musket not a copy, no matter how well done.