Saturday 14 January 2017

Saturday.




Above are photographs of another 'Mystery object'. I first put up a photograph of this item on my blog entry of Saturday, 19th November, 2016,  but then changed my mind and did the necessary restoration of this  item, which  I finished this afternoon. In the second picture is a foot ruler to try and give an idea of the  item's size ( bit of a giveaway). What is it, when was it made, and  for what purpose was it made? It is a very attractive little item (if you like that sort of thing).

P.s. I do, and Ann does,too.  Like that sort of thing, I mean.

2 comments:

Crowbard said...

Could this be the first official 'Brown Bess' Carbine, Mike? Known officially as the 1796 pattern Heavy Cavalry Carbine. I note the muzzle of yours does not extend beyond the wooden stock and it has no sling swivels but variations of this Carbine were issued both with and without swivels (the 6th Inniskillin Dragoons used them without swivels); there may have been variations in the stock length too. I understand some reproduction 'Bess' carbines were used in the film 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

Mike said...

Hello Crowbard. You seem to have got most of the answer. The barrel is wood!! a very similar coloured walnut as the stock. In view of the overall small size of the piece, I think it was for musketry drill by about a ten year old, during the early days of approaching Napoleonic wars. The name of the original owner is engraved on the escutcheon- Thos. Best. Probably the plan was that when young Thomas was of an age to be trusted with a lethal musket the local gunsmith would change the wooden barrel for an iron one. The gun is of 'Brown Bess' type, and to just over half scale. I have come across one or two muskets made with iron barrels, obviously made for a Cadet Corps, but I've never come across a wooden barrelled Cadet Corps musket before. It just shows you should never assume you know the lot on your subject. It just encourages the Irony Department to sneak up with something new with which to confound you! It is, in fact, an attractive little item, which Ann wants to keep - so we probably will.