unknown flintlock and bayonet ID
I picked up a flintlock and bayonet today but cannot ID it with any of my books that I have. The flintlock is out of NY 69cal 57 overall length and 42 inch barrel,ramrod is with it. The markings are as follows: P in a recesses oval on barrel, an LF on frizzen spring,B7 on the wood, and GT on the inside of the cock.No other markings anywhere.The bayonet is 18 3/4 long, blade is 15 18/32 socket 3 inches. Has a MS, 3117, AND A s on it. No lock ring. Flat blade with a fuller middle to tip.I have photos if that would help, I could email them to you. Thank you. RM
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cant tell much without pictures. .69 was standard French military caliber and so was adopted by a lot of countries including US. .69 flinlock muskets were manufactured in Belgium right up to the 1970's for export to Africa and for black powder shooters in the US and elsewhere. Send pictures and maybe we can give you some more info. 0 -
Raised "P" in a sunken oval was one of the barrel proofs found on U.S. flintlock musket barrels from the second decade of the 19th Century.
42" Was a standard length of these musket barrels up until, at least the 1840's.
Many civilian contractors as well as military arsenals made these barrels.
Without definitive lock markings or other readily identiifiable features, my two cents is that your musket would be almost impossible to identify. It might have been assembled by Bannerman in the late 19th Century, for all we know?
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Info so far indicates a French type, around or post 1800. A good shot of the lock, side plate opposite the lock, trigger guard and other furniture as well as one of the entire gun may make ID possible. Early US muskets were of French design. As stated above, it could be a piece assembled of parts of many sources. If it can ID as a specific model of France or US the value can be substantial. 0 -
Thank you. I will try and get more photos and email them top you. Thanks again. RM 0 -
Bear in mind: There were No Proof Houses in America...Never was and there still is No American Proof Houses as of this writing. The Gun in question is more than likely French or Belguim, as They both supplied the Americas with Arms during that period of our History..and the Mark on the Barrel and on the Cock and Stock are Acceptance Marks....Not Proofs....
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
In trying to ID your gun I found the only real info I have goes only up to around the American revolution. I have prints that illustrate French muskets of the generation before yours, which is to say Naponeonic 1800-1815. Similarity of the lock, but yours has a brass pan that is angled down a little, both later French developments. Another print illustrates typical hardware that hasn't changed much. The muzzle cap shows the brass sight. It also shows a spring clip that holds the bayonet, altho on another page has a similar version without it. A French musket would originally have had some ID on the lock plate, a makers or arsenal name. These were often taken off when the guns were disposed of as surplus or furnished to another government. Usually a name inside the lock. French style muskets were made in other countries, either by/for the French who had conquered most of Europe at the time or copied because French musket design was considered the latest and greatest. For the same reason the earliest US muskets were copies of the French. Whether yours is native French or otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to say for sure if I had it in hand. I'm not that much of a specialist. It looks like an honest gun that has not been messed around with, which is a lot to the good. Value wise, again I'm not in the trade, I would guestimate $1000 plus-minus 30%. I recently saw a British musket of the same period priced, I thought overpriced, at $2000, altho typically English pieces do sell for 25-50% more than French. If it can be authenticated as US mfgr, the value would probably triple or more. 0
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