Original Item: Only One Available. As used in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, once as numerous as Brown Bess Muskets the French M1777 equivalent was referred to as the CHARLEVILLE Musket. However. Charleville was only one of the manufacturing Arsenals, the predominant one being St. Etienne.
This example has all steel mounts, brass mounts were generally only used for Naval issue, the lock is marked “Manufact. a St.Etienne”, the barrel tang marked M-1777. Differing from the Brown Bess not only using all steel mounts the barrel is secured by three-barrel bands and not pins. Used overall condition this musket comes with a latter all steel button nosed ramrod. It also has a somewhat peculiar stud mounted forward of the trigger guard on the trigger guard plate. This stud is right by the sling swivel, and is attached on the inside of the trigger guard. We have been told that it was used with a sling that had holes put in it, to easily and quickly adjust the length of the sling.
Hard to find with clear lock markings as most were cleaned off and sanitized before disposal into the civilian market when released from military stores makes this a fine example.
Received directly from many years storage this Musket just need a jolly good cleaning to be ready for display or an inspection from a licensed gunsmith before a trip to the range.