Of Muskets and Men

[Second-rate Marksman]

Good morning, gents!

My apologies for disappearing for a spell. It seems life has a way of filling every spare corner if you let it.

Lately I've found myself drawn more and more to military muskets. There's something about their history, their purposeful simplicity, and the sheer presence they carry that's hard to ignore. I recently picked up a Pedersoli 1763/66 Charleville, and it's been a rewarding project from the start. I spent a good bit of time carefully refinishing the stock to bring out the natural figuring in the wood, and I went ahead and removed the modern "Made in Italy" and proof marks to give it a more period-appropriate appearance.

What's surprised me most, though, is how much I've enjoyed the quieter side of it: sitting down in the evenings and rolling cartridges. There's something almost meditative about the process, especially after a long day when you don't feel like tackling anything too demanding. It's a small thing, but it's added a whole new layer of enjoyment to the hobby for me.

I had the chance to take it out to the trail walk last weekend, and I came away genuinely impressed. Even with that long, deliberate trigger pull, it performed admirably and proved itself more than capable in practical shooting. It's a different rhythm compared to a long rifle, but one I'm starting to appreciate more with each outing.

Not long after, I managed to win a Miroku Brown Bess at auction. I'll admit-- I probably paid a bit more than I should have, but these don't come around all that often, and sometimes you've just got to take the opportunity when it presents itself.

That said, it definitely arrived as a project. The mainspring was missing, along with all of the barrel pins, so the barrel was essentially being held in place by the tang screw alone. The ramrod thimbles and trigger guard had been "secured" with finishing nails (heads still on, no less!) which tells you a bit about the level of care it's seen. To top it off, there's a fairly significant crack at the breech that will need proper attention if it's going to be made sound again.

Still, that's half the appeal, isn't it? Bringing one of these old warhorses back from the brink. I've already begun the process of cleaning it up, undoing some of the previous "repairs", and setting things right. It's going to take some time and care (especially around the breech) but I'm looking forward to seeing it brought back into respectable shooting condition.

I'll include some photos below of where things currently stand.

[No Powder]

Nicely done Eric.

[Second-rate Marksman]

Nicely done Eric.

Thank you! I spent some time this afternoon getting it buttoned up. The lock's off to Paul Ackermann of Ackermann Arms in New York to get a new mainspring fitted.

[Bigsmoke]

It's sure funny the different trails we find ourselves going on in our sport.
Years ago when I first got involved with muzzleloading, for some reason or another, I became enamored with the 1863 Springfield.  Fast forward 60 +/- years and I have owned dozens of rifles, none of which was the Springfield.  I have had an 1842 Springfield smoothbore, .69 caliber, a Bess and a Bess carbine, a Charleyville, a Colt musket, and I don't know how many half stock plains rifles and full stock rifles.  But never that first want, the 1863 Springfield.  Not to mention my favorites, the big bore English Sporting Rifles in ridiculous calibers.  Never been much for the small bores though.  I did have a .40 flinter once, but that sold kinda quickly.  Shame, it was a nice rifle.
By the way, Eric, the rear sight on your Bess is sideways.  Rear sight = tang screw.  I guess the front sight is the bayonet lug?
John

[Second-rate Marksman]

You're right, it is funny where this hobby takes a man over time. Seems like most of us start with one idea in our heads and end up somewhere entirely different. You've certainly covered some ground along the way, and I can't argue with a fondness for those big English sporting rifles-- there's a lot to like there.

As for my Bess-- fair point on the "rear sight", but in truth that tang screw isn't much use as an aiming reference anyway. With the height of the decorative band at the breech and the way everything sits, there's just not enough definition there to pick up anything consistent.

At the end of the day, it's really more a matter of indexing the piece the same way every time and letting experience do the rest, as is true with most smoothbores.