Original Item: Only One Available. This is straight out of a very old Rev. War Collection and it is in the most splendid condition. This was full length carbine was manufactured in Holland around 1770. American colonists who were desperate to acquire weapons purchased this model musket and several other Continental types to add to their efforts against the British.
It should be noted that in the 18th Century the term "CARBINE" did not mean a firearm of short length, as it became during the U.S. Civil War and since, such as the Spencer Carbines, Winchester Carbines and of course the well known WW2 M1 Carbine. In the 1700's "Carbine" meant a Musket of Pistol bore, so a .65" bore was a Carbine and a .75" bore was the Standard Musket bore size. This is similar to a "Fusil" and served the same purpose: to arm an officer with a long arm that used the same bullets as the pistol they were armed with. This simplified their ammunition supply, and was a practice that continued well into the 19th century.
This full length carbine was originally in .65" pistol caliber with a 41 1/4" part octagonal smoothbore barrel. The muzzle end of the barrel has a lot of wear, so it is now closer to .73" wide. It features all steel mounts and measures to an overall length of about 56 1/2". There is a very similar example pictured on page 122 of GEORGE C. NEUMANN'S book BATTLE WEAPONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. It is marked with a lovely CROWN / B B cartouche on the underside of the butt stock, and has a regimental designation of 39 / B on the top of the barrel. There also looks to be some type of cartouche on the left side of the butt stock, which looks to have a CROWN over two interlocked letter "A"s.
Of particular interest is the front iron mount nose cap, with a ramrod pipe that runs all the way to the first barrel band of the three behind the nose cap. In reference books this is pointed out as a fitting ONLY used on Dutch Flintlock long arms such as this carbine. When the barrel bands were in brass, the nose cap and upper barrel band would in fact be one continuous piece of metal. As this example has all metal fittings, it is definitely an early example, as the brass fittings came later.
Offered in very nice condition. The gun is mechanically functional and has a fantastic, unaltered look to it overall. These guns saw service on both sides during the war. The flintlock works excellently, holding at half cock, and firing at full. Original Revolutionary War flintlock arms are rarely found in such a nice state of preservation and this is one gun than any serious collector would be glad to add to their collection of Colonial era arms.
Ready to add to your collection and display!
More on the History of the Dutch Flintlock Export Market:
Dutch gun makers centered in Amsterdam (as well as Rotterdam and Maastricht) established themselves among the premier arms makers in Europe in the mid-1600's, a position they would hold into the late 1700's/early 1800's, when the gun making centers in Birmingham and Liège finally eclipsed their output and international trading reputation. In fact, even the British relied on Dutch made flintlocks at various times in the 1600's & 1700's. They purchased muskets from the Dutch prior to the establishment of the 1730 Pattern Long Land muskets, and while some authors refer to Dutch muskets of that era as resembling the early "Brown Bess" muskets, the reality is that the 1730 Pattern muskets followed the Dutch lines of earlier purchases.
The British also turned to Dutch makers during the early to mid-1700's, as well as The Seven Years War (French & Indian War), to help arm the fledgling American colonies. Dutch muskets with both South Carolina (as well as later US) surcharges are known. Thousands of Dutch muskets were imported for use by the American forces during the war, and they saw service with both state volunteer regiments and with the Continental Army. The Colony of Massachusetts directly purchased several thousand Dutch muskets during the revolution, with the help of Benjamin Franklin. According to author and researcher Harold Peterson, nearly every surviving Dutch musket in America can be traced to the Bay Colony. The Dutch also provided muskets to the Hessian mercenaries that fought during the American Revolution, showing that they were non-partisan businessmen, and were glad to make money selling to either side. Often wars fought in the Continent and Colonies would have both sides using Dutch Muskets.
Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1770
Caliber: worn from .65" to about .73"at the muzzle
Ammunition Type: Lead shot & Powder
Barrel Length: 41 1/4inches
Overall Length: 56 1/2 inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these.
