Original English Made Portuguese Issue Sea Service Pattern Brown Bess Flintlock Musket from the Peninsula Wars Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. The Sea Service pattern Brown Bess was made between 1778–1854. Typically issued to Royal Navy ships, drawn by men as required, Marines used Sea Service weapons when deployed as part of a ship’s company but were issued India Pattern weapons when serving ashore.

This example dates from the early 19th century and was made for England’s oldest ally Portugal under contract issued originally by King Don Pedro III. He came to the throne in 1777 but died prematurely in 1786. The contract was filled over years, in fact decades right up to the time of Portugal’s war with Napoleon known as the PENINSULA WAR which concluded in 1813.

This particular Sea Service Pattern Brown Bess is slightly smaller than the India Pattern line having a 37″ barrel rather than 39″ and the lock has a length of 6″ as opposed to 6.75”. The bore is the same .75″.

The mounts are all standard early India Pattern style indicating manufacture to have been in the late 1790s or early 1800s.

The lock plate is marked P10 for King Pedro III.

Typically British in style and design at first glance the only difference is that the brass side plate is of pistol design and the slight clearly fully intended, slight down-sizing of the musket.

Being England’s old ally when Napoleon invaded both Spain and France England sent Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, to lead the allied armies of Portugal, England and the free Spanish volunteers to evict the French. This took five hard years from 1808 until 1813.

A fine example of a British ally’s contract Brown Bess musket offered in nice display condition.

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