Original Item: Only One Available. Approved on April 2, 1845 was the Model F the 6th and final smoothbore Brown Bess style East India Company Musket made in percussion. The flintlock Brown Bess style musket had been obsoleted in the late 1830s and the percussion version introduced. What followed in the 1850s was the rifle musket in the smaller .577 caliber whose paper cartridges were finished in a waxy fat compound that the Sepoy troops interpreted as being derived from cows or pigs either way breaking both Hindu and Muslim religious beliefs. This led to the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1859 that led to the East India Company ceding control of India to the British Government.
This MANTON made Musket was made in England, has an English proofed barrel (39) and is marked on the lock:
MANTON & CO.
LONDON & CALCUTTA
Joseph Manton and Sons were one of London’s foremost Gun Makers that opened in 1795 and ceased trading in 1877. This musket differs from the standard company Model F musket only with the fact that the ramrod pipes are devoid of the usual turnings and appear quite plain. These were from a special contract but the intended end use destination has been lost to history. This is a particularly fine example is one of the very few we found included in the
East India Company weapons we received from the old palace of Lagan Silikanna in Kathmandu, Nepal back in 2003.
The Musket comes with its English made Model F Bayonet which is British proof marked and faintly also shows the English Manufacturer’s name:
???TER & Co
These were the best of the E.I.C. Percussion Musket series and this example is especially nice.
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