70" Brown Bess musket

[rworzala]

[Walkwolf]

It's great that it has remained in the family, and I hope you intend
to keep passing it down !

I can really only guess as to why it's longer than the normal
62 inches - Perhaps someone else can have a crack at it
and give you some accurate information.
Thanks for the additional pics.


Welcome to the Forum.........!

[rworzala]

[Major Tom]

The Long land pattern 1740-1755 there where 3 models, had a more ornate (rounded ) brass side plate and brass hardware, there where 4 flutes total (entry, 2 middle,1 at the base) , the buttplate was longer on the top and drop was more pronounced the middle area where the rear rod flute sets in the rifle had a wider pertruding bulge that was later became more streamlined, later the plates became flatter and the barrel was cut down 2" giving you the shortland version 1762-1783 after the war most became carbines and where cut down even shorter during trade with Indians and people who used them as a hunting implement. Yours looks like a longland pattern that had a few changes made through the years which is consistant over time. Ive owned a few of these, accurate at the most 70-80 yards drops fast past that 100 yard mark. I use a .073 ball w/ 120-140 grain, 3f black powder 4f primer. I like your rifle check for cracks around the lock area and drop area and make sure it doesn't have any pitting inside and out have it checked out, should still shoot. Check out Track of the Wolf - Muzzle Loading & Black Powder Guns Kits, Parts, Accoutrements, Rendezvous Gear & Primitive Americana they usually have nice originals/accurate reproductions to compare with. Hope this helps alittle.

[rworzala]

Thanks, ive been to that sight a little , and a few others.not going to fire this one strictly a wall hanger too much pitting I think and the internal spring doesn't have enough power to generate a spark. Most of it looks to be second to third, looks very close to the liege contract musket

[rworzala]

On the last pic you can see were the stalk was extended about 48" of the original then the added length

[Major Tom]

Sorry for the long reply.
I think it is a valid consensus about being a Liege musket, it definitely has been there and done that has the tell tale signs as well, I have a wall hanger as well a .76 Kings musket, looks identical to the Longland version 1st model, my friend has a 3rd model liege contracted by COOK 1778 England. Yours tells a story I like that, it wasn't uncommon for a civilian after the war either to piece and try to repair a military musket, if it could only talk. God speed.

[rworzala]

Who ever modified it must have loved hunting waterfowl to put a 54+" barrel on, who made them that long ?

[Major Tom]

Hard to say, you have to remember back then Europeans (white folk) considered a longer barrel to be more accurate and the native americans didn't like a long barrel too cumbersome when running through brush and on horse back (Europeans later figured that out). Your barrel could have been from maybe a larger musket doglock maybe late 17th century version that had been modified to a flinter?? this person probably didn't have a lot of money? maybe was part of a colonial militia? parted it together later used it for what you said, waterfowl? it was definitely military at one point and re-modified. Like the civilwar the soldiers bought, traded modified, chopped, stole, and added on to there weapon when War was declared over, a rifle was a mans only means of staying alive back in those days. In my USMC terms "improvise adapt and over-come" true back then. If you can take it apart look for proofing marks or something on the bottom of the barrel (or on top) don't sand it or anything just use a acidic free oil and see if anything pops-out. Look for a very small crown, GR, initials anything like that. Im not 100% versed in identification marks real well but you can look it up (Google)