French musket

[JamesKelly]

Are there any French musket guys out there?

I have a flint musket on which I'd appreciate some insight. By the styling I have assumed it to be French. My father, Hugh Kelly. bought it about 1961 from the late Carlisle Smith, a Missouri archaeologist. Smith had brought it back from Europe, along with other antique guns. Mr. Smith had been certain that Dad would buy this one, as the single-bridle lock was engraved with "P.KELLY", and a standing bear. Right on, C. Smith! As there is corrosion over top of this engraving I assume it was done contemporary with the gun's use, if not manufacture. There are no other markings, no proof marks or numbers. I have not looked under the barrel.

By the bayonet lug, long entry thimble, sling swivels and caliber I assume it is a military gun. The a part-octagonal barrel being fastened with pins implies to me that It was made before French military guns were very well standardized. Perhaps before 1730? The barrel is just under 40" (1000mm, or roughly 3 pied 1 pouce), .70 or .71 (18mm) caliber. The breech end is octagonal for 13-1/2" (3430mm), tapering into round. The lock is 6-1/2" (165mm). The iron entry thimble is 6-1/4" (159mm) long, the middle thimble 3" (76mm) long. Trumpet ramrod looks too new to be original. The musket weighs 8lb 7 oz (3.83kg).

I saw nothing similar in Didier Bianchi's French Military Small Arms. I find some resemblance to an earlier musket on p35 of Kevin Gladysz' The French Trade Gun in North America. Neither The Military Arms of Canada, Historical Arms series No. 1, or The Fusil de Tulle in New France 1691 - 1741 are more help. Of course, this may reflect my limited knowledge of French arms in the first place, that I may not quite know what to look for. I have one more French book coming, i think it is somewhere over the Atlantic as I write. That is Jean Boutriot's Armes à feu françaises modèles réglemantaires 1717-1836 - Volume 1. I can only hope the illustrations may compensate somewhat for my ignorance of the language.

Well, this is as far as I think I know.

[fernando]

Hi James,
I wouldn't be surprised if knowledged members tell you this is not a French musket.
I don't know, the P. KELLY name on the lock plate; is that a bear next to it ?
Unless early models were significantly different from later ones, quite a few details don't check.
Here is a rather complete list of French muskets; pity that it is in french and not illustrated ... but is something to start with. You can exclude details like measurements and so, by comparing them to your example. Also browsing the web using the dates of the models you may find their illustrations:

http://www.academie-des-armes-anciennes.com/amff.html


I hope it helps, until someone comes up with more precise info.

[corrado26]

As you can see from the drawings of the first French infantry gun M 1717 your gun cannot be French. The lock is totally different and the following French version 1728 has iron barrel rings. I do at the moment not know to which country your piece belongs the less so since the name P.KELLY is not to be found in all reference books but I try to find it out
corrado26

[fernando]

Ir would be interesting to see a picture of the lock with the hammer cocked, so that the 'beast' close to the name is fully shown.

[JamesKelly]

OK, I erred. The PKELLY and standing bear do not have corrosion over the engraving. I would say this was a mid-2oth century addition As was the ramrod, using a 0. 235" steel rod. That is almost exactly 6mm (0.236"). In the USA standard small steel rods would be 6.35mm (0.250"). So the new ramrod was made in Europe, and it does appear that PKELLY and his bear are modern additions.
Right now the lock is partially disassembled in my basement. The rear lock bolt hole has an old bolt broken off in it. There is a new hole drilled and tapped for the current (rear) lock bolt. The stock is not drilled for the old lock bolt hole, but only for the more recent. The lock inlet appears to be cut for this particular lock.
As noted, the barrel is fastened to the stock with pins. There are no barrel bands, as one would expect least on the Model 1728.
The lock is round faced and the barrel half-octagon.
This description fits no standard French musket from 1717 on.
It does look vaguely like the 1680's gun shown on page 35, "The French Trade Gun in North America".
No body but me likes French here. Oh, well.
I did find one, and only one, marking, stamped inside the lock plate. Not clear to me what it is, I will have to experiment with lighting and maybe a smear of black paint to get a decent photo. Stay Tuned.

[corrado26]

It would help to separate the barrel from the stock and eventally find some stamps/marks..........
corrado26