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.