Brown Bess, late 18th or early 19th century - English Walnut full stock flint lock musket with bayonet Marks on barell E? R? Sideplate:L-shaped, brass, round Triggerguard:Brass, acorn filial Buttplate:Brass Other furniture:Brass trumpet shape rammer pipes. Bayonet. This appears to be a 3rd-pattern/India pattern British musket from ca. 1810-1830. The barrel length, side plate, and trigger guard shape are all consistent. (compare Neumann, 19.MM; Bailey, pp. 32-35). The lock has a ring-necked flintcock indicating production after 1810. (Bailey, p. 35, figure 28). The lock is marked TOWER around the base of the flintcock. The area between the flintcock and the pan is heavily corroded, obscuring any crown+GR markings that would have been present on a British military issue musket. An alternate interpretation is that this musket was made in the US for militia duty out of surplus or commercial British parts. (cf. the discussion on militia muskets in Reilly, pp 110-123). The dating would be approximately the same. This dating is also consistent with ownership by Ephraim Tufts Note: Bayonet not found with musket.
