I’ll jump back into the thread but it looks great, last time I saw something like this was in Kabul Afghanistan in a Bizarre 2007.
God Bless

 

The one you saw in Afghanistan was probably being offered at much cheaper price than this one haha

 

This is not an India Pattern, it is an early East India Company Baker Pattern and is much rarer. They were made 1804-1840 with varying features. These supersede the EIC Windus pattern. Yours is an excellent example.

Edit: IMA only found one of these in their 2003 Nepal horde of thousands of EIC muskets, so that should give you indication of how rare it is. Yours is better than their example as well, and earlier.

 

Well that makes me happy to hear. Do you have any idea when it was made and what it’s worth?

 

The change from Swan-neck to ring-neck cock around 1810 was in the late Windus line of muskets. I would have thought all Baker types would have had the improved ring-neck style. In any case, as pointed out, these are pretty rare and this one is in great shape. There should be a number of view marks with a letter which will reveal the year of manufacture- usually many under the wood and one near the bolster above the woodline? The guys on British Militaria Forum would love to see this one and there is much expertise concerning EIC muskets there.

Ruprecht

 

I might have to post it over there. I’ve been unable to disassemble it past taking the lock out. The tang screw is STUCK and the slot is insanely shallow. Any tips on getting it out?

 

Honestly I’d just leave it alone. It’s got nice patina you certainly don’t want to mess up

 

For those interested in 'The Brown Bess', the book of that title , by Goldstein & Mobray, 2010, Mobray Publishers, 160 A4 pages, can be recommended.
It is profusely illustrated, with colour photographs of the various models & shewing close ups of disassembled parts + marks.

 

Suggest for use in action the larger bore Brown Bess but for slightly more accuracy, the smaller bore Charleville.
Almost exclusively battles were engagements fought at close quarters.

 

I think the charleville is an overall better weapon. At least in terms of how they’re constructed. IMO barrel bands and springs are better than small retaining pins. I wouldn’t want to get hit with neither a .69 nor a .75 cal so I don’t think bore size is a huge issue.

 

Agree about build, but the Bess is handier to load under stress.

 

Functional wise, I’d take a British military Bess any day over a Charleville. The frizzens are much better quality than what the French produced… at least in my experience.

 

Got this one back in September. It has the distinction of being my oldest gun. My India pattern brown Bess musket that I believe to have been made probably sometime in the 1820s. The lock is not dated which from what I’ve read means post 1818 but it has a “swan neck” cock which stopped production in 1810. The markings on the barrel are crystal clear and it has a great bore. Yes I have shot it and it shoots great. With the right loads there is very little delay. This thing is pure awesome so I figured you guys would enjoy seeing it. I need to find a Charleville next which IMO a superior musket. Finding one without going bankrupt will be somewhat challenging.
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Beautiful shape for its age.

 

Thanks! Very excited to own it. Even more so now that I know it’s a very rare example.