Rare and Early Regulation Type First Model/Longland Pattern Brown Bess Musket,ca. 1720-1728

In overall very good+, condition. The round, pin-fastened, 45 1/2", sighted, .78+ caliber, iron and smoothbore barrel with a baluster-turned breech. A fine touch-hole and bore with evidence of expected use. The lock with smooth steel-gray surfaces, a single bridle-screw, behind the original gooseneck hammer and an early form, trefoil-finial frizzen spring. Marked on the tail of the lockplate with the vestige of an effaced date/George I Royal Cypher marking. Banana form, rounded, lockplate with a bridle-less powder-pan. Molded and finely carved, early Longland Pattern, walnut fullstock with a raised-carved beaver-tail apron, around the barrel tang, a pronounced raised lobe on the handrail-- at the ramrod entry pipe and a well-defined comb, on the buttstock. The sideplate and lockplate mortises with finely relief carved teardrop borders. Early Regulation Longland type full brass hardware: the buttplate with a long, screw-fastened, 3-stepped tang, the trigger-guard with an early trefoil type forward finial and a fluted bow, a raised sideplate with a tail, two (2) iron sidebolts, a Shield-type wrist-escutcheon and its four (4) baluster-turned ramrod pipes (for the original? wooden rammer). Of early Regulation Pattern design, ca. 1720. In overall very good+, well-used, original flintlock condition. The lock and barrel with smooth, evenly toned, untouched, iron surfaces and patches of discoloration, light staining and the expected signs of use and wear: a very good bore. In mechanically functional order with a strong mainspring, fine timing and its original lock components. Very good stock with signs of extended military use. Retains 75%+ finish with scattered handling marks, light abrasions, minor old forestock repairs/tight hairlines. The brass furniture with an untouched, smooth, mustard toned age-patina. A Very Seldom Seen & Early Regulation Longland Pattern Musket, ca. 1720-1728. Both sling-swivels removed. Overall length, 60". ****For similar examples and additional information, please see H. L. Blackmore’s: “British Military Firearms 1650-1850”, pg. 74-75 & G. C. Neumann’s: “Battle Weapons of the American Revolution”, pg. 56-57. Recently acquired from an Old New York Collection.

Copy and photos from Ambrose Antiques.

Flintlock .78 inch Musket, Long Land Pattern, 1742 (c)

The Long Land Pattern, commonly called the 'Brown Bess', was the standard British Army musket for most of the eighteenth century. As most male citizens of the American colonies were required to own a musket for militia duty, weapons like this would have been in common use on both sides during the American War of Independence (1775-1783). The Brown Bess weighed about five kilograms and fired a ball weighing about 40g. It had an effective range of about 80m. Muskets were most effective when they were fired in volleys (large numbers of men all firing at the same time).

Copy and photos from the National Army Museum.

American Cherry-Stocked Long-Kand Pattern Brown Bess Musket, 1740

Cal. .75 rnd 45″ cut from 46″ long bbl marked near breech with Tower view and proof marks. The lock is marked with Broad Arrow in front of Crown/”GR” under the iron pan and behind the cock in two vertical lines “TOWER/1740”. The early King’s Pattern furniture is brass and typical of other early land patterns including long stepped buttplate tang, raised lockplate escutcheon, straight rear ramrod pipe thimbles and front ramrod pipe just over 4″. This gun was restocked in America utilizing American cherry wood closely emulating the orig British walnut with all the orig furniture utilized with exception of thumbplate which there is no provision for. During the restocking in America the muzzle was cut exactly 1″ making the bbl length 45″ from its orig length of 46″. This is as beautiful and untouched an example of an American Revolutionary War first model Brown Bess that you will find. It is understandable why Mr. Flayderman retained this beautiful musket in his personal collection for so long. 

PROVENANCE: Norm Flayderman Estate Collection. 

CONDITION: The bbl and lock are brown overall with good, discernible bbl proofs and lock markings as can be seen in photographs. Metal overall is brown and smooth with areas of pitting, especially along top areas of hammer, frizzen, pan and bbl breech. The bore is pitted and uncleaned. The American cherry stock is sound and solid with only minor storage dings, dents and scratches. Metal is mounted extremely well with some wear and erosion at breech behind hammer. There is a hairline crack forward of lock that is only about 1″ long. Stock is missing nosecap and as noted in description bbl has been irregularly cut to make bbl now almost exactly 45″. 4-51195 JS29 (15,000-25,000)

Copy and photos from James Julia.