Revolutionary War Loyalist Brown Bess Musket

• Licensing Category: Antique
• Maker: British
• Model: Brown Bess
• Caliber/Gauge:


• Description:

  This item is one of the scarcer Revolutionary War Liege built short land pattern muskets.  For reference see pages 122 to 131 of "The Brown Bess by Erik Goldstein and Stuart Mowbray.  This musket was sourced out of the city of Saint John, NB.  (The Loyalist City).  These muskets were primarily issued to Provincial and Loyalists units.  It is very easy to speculate that this musket came to Canada with a United Empire Loyalist.  This 1777 pattern shows all of the features as found in the aforesaid reference including the lock with the two screws behind the cock, the engraved single arch crown and the absence of the broad arrow on the ownership crown.This piece shows same markings on the reverse of the lockplate and the sideplate as per page 127.  All the brass fixtures are identical to the one's as illustrated.  The reference describes these muskets as scarce.  This piece shows a later conversion to percussion by the drum method.  It is not possible to determine whether this was done for a former owner or the New Brunswick Militia.  In the conversion the lower barrel proof was obliterated.  The metal and wood on this example are best described as above average.  The wood shows a very strong storekeeper mark and no evidence of sanding or repair.This example is a without question an Empire Loyalist piece in its" as found" configeration.  it is also a scarcer Revolutionary War item that could be reconverted to its original configuration.