Original Item: Only One Available. Just recently found amongst our Nepalese cache purchase of East India Company Muskets was this exceptionally rare English made .75cal percussion musket with lock marked CROWN over "V.R." and "ENFIELD 1841".
Queen Victoria came to the British Throne in 1837, the very last model of Brown Bess Flintlock Musket that incidentally had a 42" barrel was adopted in 1838. Apart from this obsolete length, the norm then being 39", and the Victorian Lock markings the lock had a rounded" back; not pointed as in all previous Brown Bess models.
This P-1838 is among the most rare Brown Bess of all as it was superseded almost as soon as it was introduced. In 1839 the Percussion system was officially adopted and a vast conversion program was instituted to convert all Brown Bess Flintlock Muskets to this new ignition system. By 1841 the Tower of London, England's greatest Arsenal, had over 280,000 newly converted Brown Bess muskets in its armories.
On October 30th 1841 there occurred "THE GREAT FIRE OF THE TOWER OF LONDON" and just about all of these freshly converted muskets were destroyed. As it happened, just three days before this tragic fire, a fresh model percussion musket had been approved and sealed. This new Musket became known as the Lovell's Pattern Musket of 1842. At the time Lovell was the "Inspector of Small Arms," a post he rose to in 1840, and the new style musket that bears his name is essentially none other than the East India Company Musket already in use by the East India Company for some years.
Once again the government copied private enterprise just as they had with the third model Brown Bess in 1796 that was known as the "India Pattern" and was copied from the East India Company Brown Bess musket adopted in 1771.
Now n offer is an English replacement percussion musket manufactured at ENFIELD in 1841 the very year of the official adoption of the "LOVELL'S PATTERN MUSKET" which later became known as the P-1842.
We say English as this musket was made in England at Enfield as shown. The term BRITISH refers not only to England, but Scotland, Wales and Ireland but ALSO to anywhere of the then Empire, including British India.
This musket is by and large the same as the existing the East India Company Musket Model F Pattern BUT it was made at ENFIELD for the Crown and is so marked. Being 1841 this musket is truly rare.
It is in nice sleepy condition but has a wood repair to the butt that probably dates back to the time of its service. It does have a brass "S" side plate of third Model Brown Bess style which were only used on the Model A and B EIC converted muskets, and the musket comes complete with its original socket bayonet stand to accept the Model F Bayonet with what became known as the "LOVELL'S CATCH".
Although there are traces of a Crown at the rear of the 39" barrel the proof marks one would expect to see have worn away.
Now this is a very rare Musket that is really a stepping-stone between the last British Crown issue Brown Bess and the first officially adopted Lovell's Pattern Percussion Musket.
It even comes with its original English made socket bayonet maker marked " P/16, S.HILL" and the original Brass mounted leather scabbard. Both Bayonet and Scabbard are sleepers as well being just as we found them in the Royal Nepal Arsenal back in 2003.
A truly rare offering, one set only, not expected to ever be repeated.
