Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a very nice British third model Brown Bess musket dating from about 1798. Features a classic 39″ barrel with a TOWER and CROWN over G.R marked lock plate.
The walnut stock with a bannister rail has all brass furniture, and butt plate engraved: 40/A/20 indicating that this was issued to the 40th Regiment of Foot, the 2nd Somersetshire Regiment, A Company, man number 20.
Raised in Nova Scotia in 1717 by General Richard Philipps the Regiment saw service all over Colonial America including the French and Indian Wars. It was transferred to Britain in 1767 for the first time in 50 years, but returned for the Revolutionary War. In 1782 the 40th became the 40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot and thereafter were posted to Australia serving in Sydney, New South Wales in 1823-28 and Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania). They were then transferred to Bombay in 1829 and fought in the Scindh Campaign of 1839 and the First Afghan War of 184-/42 finally returning to Australia in 1852. They later took part in the New Zealand wars of 1860-1865.
This is a musket that really saw the world showing use, especially the surface of the barrel with considerable age staining, otherwise in overall good tight condition.