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Exceptional 19th Century British Flintlock Indian Trade Musket

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:5,500.00 - 8,500.00 USD
Exceptional 19th Century British Flintlock Indian Trade Musket
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Estimate: $5500 - 8500
Manufacturer: English Model: Flintlock
Flintlock Trade Musket manufactured by London gunmaker Edward Barnett c. 1875. The musket has a part round/part octagon smooth bore barrel. The barrel has an iron front sight and no rear sight. The lockplate has rounded edges with an integral iron pan and reinforced hammer. The musket has a large iron trigger guard with tear drop shaped finials at either end. The barrel is blue and the lock is bright. The walnut full length pin-fastened stock has two brass ramrod pipes, a detailed cast brass serpent-shaped sideplate and flat brass buttplate. The barrel tang, rear of the lock plate and side plate have relief-carved 'paddles' similar to those found on 18th Century Brown Bess muskets. The hardwood ramrod has a brass tip. The lockplate is stamped with the vertical date "1875" followed by "BARNETT/LONDON" in a half curve behind the hammer. Private "EB" (Edward Barnett) proof marks are stamped on the lockplate below the pan and on the top barrel flat. The left barrel flat is stamped with "Crown/V" and "Crown/GP" London proof and inspection marks and assorted British proof and inspection marks. The Barnett family were London gun makers who supplied trade muskets to both the Hudson Bay Company and the American Fur Company during the early 19th Century. These arms were widely used by Native Americans for hunting and warfare in both the United States and Canada for much of the 19th Century. Flintlock trade muskets continued to be manufactured long after the introduction of percussion ignition and cartridge firearms because the simple easily repaired flintlock action and black powder and cast ball ammunition were cheap and practical in remote locations where percussion caps and fixed cartridges were not available. Never-the-less, this musket is probably one of the last examples of the traditional trade muskets manufactured and retains all of the essential features of the original 18th Century trade muskets.
BBL: 42 In
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 58
Finish: blue
Grips:
Serial Number: NSN
Condition:
Very fine. The musket shows only limited handling and storage wear. The barrel retains 60% of the blue finish. The surface of the barrel is smooth, edges are sharp and the flash hole and adjacent portions of the barrel and lock have no flash pitting. The barrel proof and inspection marks are sharp. The bright finish lock has a smooth dark patina. The lock, hammer, and frizzen are free of pitting and the markings are crisp. The stock remains very fine. The edges are sharp and the stock shows only very limited storage wear. This is an extraordinary example of a traditional English Hudson Bay Indian Trade Musket that is seldom found in anything other than well used condition. Writer cannot recall handling a finer example through auction in recent times!