Not trying to rain-on-the-parade, it's just a problematic idea, and I'm Scottish so trying to save you some $$..., the original King's Musket, the first version of the "1st Model" Bess, would snap off ram rods, as they were wood. The wood of the stock supports a wooden ramrod, but when you remove the wood, to allow for the bayonet socket..., you get broken wood ramrods. So it's not a question of "how" you got the bayonet..., it will be a question of snapping off your ramrod on a regular basis as you trek anytime you get near thick, wooded country. That wood ramrod hanging below your barrel with a gap between it and the barrel will snag branches and such, and snap off the rammer. I got rid of my 1st Model Bess with the wooden rammer after snapping two rammers, and historically they improved the 1st Model Bess by changing it over to a metal rammer, as well as other improvements.
The 18th century bayonet is not very useful either, and was really only suited for line tactics. It's not at all as useful as a modern bayonet. As such, it was rather poorly suited to North American woods combat. Native Americans and French Canadians did not have bayonets in the F&I, but were victorious at: The Trough, Bloody Creek, The William Henry Massacre, German flats, The Monongahela, Petitcodiac, Sabbath Day Point, and Sideling Hill. Jump ahead a bit and look at Pontiac's rebellion, where all but one of the targeted forts fell to the Indians, and go a bit further in history, and at King's Mountain, the British had the high ground and bayonets, yet the folks in the woods with the rifles, whipped 'em good. It's only when folks went toe to toe in a field (or ran out of ammo) that the bayonet came into play back then.
LD
Topic: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks (Read 6004 times)