Description

Original Short Land, New (2nd) Pattern "Brown Bess" Musket of .75-inch bore, with pinned buttplate, flat sideplate, no escutcheon and rounded lock with notched cock comb. Type introduced c1775, with 3rd Pattern being introduced c1780. Barrel and fore-stock shortened to 30-inches. Stock coated overall in protective lacquer. Trigger guard sling swivel missing. Lockplate marked with crowned-“GR” under pan, and “TOWER” on tail, Ordnance acceptance stamp under pan. This type of lock, with the notched cock comb, was introduced about 1775, and superseded about five years later. Note also here, the earlier trigger with backward curl at the tip, and also the decorative finial on the brass trigger guard front-piece. Standard early British Ordnance acceptance stamps at breech, the crowned “GR” over “V”, and crowned crossed-sceptres, stamped on right side of breech. These were moved to the left side on later weapons. There are also the letters “R L M” engraved on top of the breech, forward of the other stamps. This indicates issue to the Royal Lancashire Militia. The butt-plate is pinned at the tang, and there is no escutcheon at the small. The absence of an escutcheon was a feature of the Militia or Marine Musket – this was generally reintroduced in 1775 as standard on Short Land Pattern Muskets, however not on this example. Both barrel and lock show signs of having been blacked (japanned), as was standard on Militia muskets, replacing the bright steel finish of the earlier Long Land Pattern.