Issued with an armory bright finish, this gun was correctly called the King's musket, but it quickly became nick-named the Brown Bess musket, after an English folk song, which lamented "I'm in the King's army, married to Brown Bess". Soldiers spent many hours rubbing their Brown Bess muskets, keeping them bright, ready to pass military inspection. This musket is offered in excellent used condition with a few minor handling marks on the stock. The bore is bright and has been well maintained. It will thrill a 1770 - 1780 period enthusiast whose interest is Revolutionary War era re-enactments and military camps. This musket has a trigger reach of 14-1/4" and weighs 9.0 pounds.
The tapered round barrel is 42" long, with a .750" bore. The bore is bright, clean, and ready to shoot. We recommend using a .715" ball with .018" patch, or a .735" ball in a paper cartridge, using the cartridge paper as a wad, with no patch. The barrel has no rear sight, so this big smoothbore musket qualifies for use in the NMLRA's N. W. Trade Gun match, where round balls are fired at paper targets, and shot is fired at clay birds thrown from a trap. The bayonet lug soldered 2" behind the muzzle serves as a front sight. The left side of the barrel is stamped with the factory markings near the breech.
Stocked in walnut, nicely finished, this Brown Bess musket is correctly trimmed in brass furniture. The stock has a few minor marks from normal handling. The brass furniture is just starting to age to a mellow patina. The wrist is fitted with a brass thumbpiece, and antiques were often engraved with the name and number of the regiment and company on the thumbpiece and buttplate. The bottom view shows the wide butt with rounded toe, classic British triggerguard, and rear sling swivel. The forward swivel is correctly mounted so it rests on the ramrod pipe. No sling is included with this musket. This model uses a military style steel ramrod, an advanced feature that became popular during the 1750 - 1760 era. The second model has a flat sideplate. Earlier versions had a convex sideplate.
The lock is marked GRICE, a famous London maker who supplied Brown Bess muskets to the Crown. It is dated 1762, and bear's the King's crown mark, over a GR (Georgus Rex, i.e. George our King) indicating ownership by the King. The frizzen shows very little signs of use. Order a dozen of our best Tom Fuller English gun flints, 9/8" size, to fit this musket. The direct drilled tough hole is correctly centered well above the bottom of the pan to provide instant ignition. The single trigger has a heavy pull, which is typical of military muskets of the period.
We recommend this attractive Brown Bess Musket for the Revolutionary War re-enactor, seeking a suitable gun for militia duty. This smoothbore is offered in excellent used condition with a bright well maintained bore. It will serve you well. Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.
