Beschreibung:

.73 caliber, 46" octagon-to-round pin-retained barrel. Bright finish, brass furniture, walnut stock. Flat 6.75" lock, with pronounced teat at the end, is marked St. Etienne with arsenal proof mark. Removable faceted, fenced and bridled iron pan with flat swan neck cock showing a period repair. Arsenal inspection marks are present on the upper left flat of the octagonal breech section of the barrel. Brass furniture, consisting of the buttplate, triggerguard and side plate are all lightly engraved. Two brass thimbles and an entry pipe retain an old replacement iron ramrod. A lug for an angular socket bayonet is located 1.3125" from the muzzle on the top of the barrel. The stock has a pronounced comb and rail, giving the wrist a somewhat delicate appearance. The stock shows a simple, raised carved apron round the rounded breech plug tang. A very rare gun, sure to appeal to both French military collectors and American Colonial Era collectors interested in both the French & Indian and Revolutionary Wars, as this musket could well have come over to participate in those conflicts. Condition: Good to very good. Both the barrel and lock have a deeply oxidized brown patina, with minor pitting evenly distributed over all of the iron surfaces. The lock appears to be in original flint configuration, and internal inspection of the barrel with a remote camera reveals no welding at the breech or bushing of the touchhole. The hammer is repaired as noted with the top jaw and screw being possible period replacements. Stock shows moderate wear, but appears to be full-length without any added wood, although it is missing the nose cap. There is a chip missing at the toe, and the forend shows some cracking and splintering, with slivers missing along its length. Overall a very solid example of an early French musket.