Tuesday 16 June 2009

Queen Anne musket

I was looking on the web to see if there was much about this precursor to the Long Land and if anyone was making a reasonably priced facsimile, as this must have been the weapon of choice for the Government side in the '15. Well not much out there at the moment...the Rifle Shoppe do parts. That's all I can find.
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7 comments:

  1. Bluebear Jeff16 June 2009 at 10:50

    I know that the Dixie Gun Works at least used to have a catalog with virtually everything in it . . . you might try them.


    -- Jeff

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  2. Sir William the Aged17 June 2009 at 06:55

    Jeff - I'm afraid the "earliest" repros that Dixie offers for our era are the 2nd Model Brown Bess and the early Charleville.

    Ralphus - Used to do quite a bit of muzzle loading and still own a few. Here is a rundown of US and Canadian maker's doing Queen Anne and French Tulle kits, finished guns and parts:

    http://www.snowshoemen.com/Muskets.htm

    French Tulle's and Queen Anne's and Williamite muskets, finished custom guns.

    http://www.loyalistarms.freeservers.com/doglockmusk.html

    Loyalist Arms Late 17th Century English or Dutch Doglock

    http://www.loyalistarms.freeservers.com/1690'sfrmarine.html

    Loyalist Arms French 1690's Marine or Grenadier musket

    http://www.militaryheritage.com/musket16.htm

    17th Century Early Doglock musket, no vent hole drilled

    http://www.militaryheritage.com/musket13.htm

    Late 17th/early 18th Century Doglock, no vent hole

    If you want a finished gun, then the repro's offered by the Canadian company, Military Heritage, are a great value. These are fully-functional arms that are rendered "non-firing" by not drilling the touch hole. As a result they can avoid the tariff usually attached to firing reproductions. This results in a savings of between $100 and $200 US dollars between their guns and some others on the market.

    They come with clear and simple instructions for taking the gun to a gunsmith, armourer or even a good machinist and having the touch hole properly drilled making it a firing repro. Any good living history group should have a contact with an armourer or good machinist or smith. This does technically void the warranty, but I have friends who have purchased from them who say that support is still available and they're good people to deal with. Outside our period, but they make a stunning repro of the famous Baker Rifle, complete with sword bayonet, for those wanting to indulge their "Sharpe" inclinations.

    With regard to The Rifle Shop, and Track of the Wolf and some others, their parts are excellent and I have seen some beautiful guns built from them, but they are definitely not "beginner" kits like Pedersoli's and many others.

    Bill

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  3. Dannybb5528 July 2009 at 14:03

    don't get the repro ventless junk from India. The fit and finish is inferior to British or Dutch work of the 17th century and it looks like junk. Take a look at the real thing at any good museum and you will see it right away. You'd be better off buying some parts and building one at home. Any sewlf respecting "Can do " American can give that a shot. Eh?

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  4. Sir William the Aged28 July 2009 at 16:30

    Danny,

    The ventless repro's sold by the Canadian company, to the best of my knowledge, are not the imported Indian or Taiwanese "decorator" models. Theye are quality pieces that are made ventless to avoid import restrictions and prohibitive firearms taxes. Their Baker rifles were used extensively in the production of the Sharpe series for BBC. I personally know an individual who bought one of their Baker's and had it drilled and tuned locally, and then bought one of the period imports that showed up a few years ago through Atlanta Cutlery from the Indian arsenals. As good as the period piece from the arsenal was, the repro was better.

    Bill

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  5. Dannybb552 August 2009 at 09:57

    Was the Baker Rifled?

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  6. Sir William the Aged3 August 2009 at 07:40

    Danny,

    The Baker is offered both ways. Because of the increasing restrictions and tariffs on arms makers internationally, the basic Baker repro was offered with an un-vented ordnance steel barrel which could then be drilled and proofed locally if your location allowed such. For customers in the US and Canada, the Baker was also available with a rifled barrel which was installed by a 3rd party US company, drilled, proofed and ready to fire. My friend ordered his this way and, at least at that time, the supplier was Badger Custom Barrels in the US, and this added an additional $195 USD to the price. That made his Baker $490 USD + $195 USD + shipping.

    http://www.militaryheritage.com/baker.htm

    The only other accurate, firing replica of a Baker that I know of is offered by the Rifle Shoppe in Oklahoma. They will custom build one, in either of the two "official" variations, for $1995 USD plus shipping with a 6 month lead time. They also offer a "kit" of parts, all unfinished, to assemble your own for $899 USD plus shipping. Their plans and parts were designed by the late Kit Ravenshear (one of the leading US experts on British Small Arms) and noted author and collector De Witt Bailey. I have seen one on display but have never handled or fired it. I can tell you that all of the Rifle Shoppe's military recreations are "museum quality". They will also, on request, build you a Portugese, Mexican or Volunteer variation, and they offer a multitude of custom options for the Volunteer Rifles.

    http://www.therifleshoppe.com/sys-tmpl/britishbakerrifle1/

    Bill

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  7. Anonymous31 August 2010 at 14:43

    Yes, The Rifle Shoppe is the place to buy the parts for a Queen Anne (pre-1730 Brown Bess) musket.

    Jacques Pierre

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