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Before I start I want to express that I was a little unsure about which section I should post in. I figure if anyone can answer my questions you guys can. I also want to offer an early disclaimer about the photos of this musket. I did not do anything to this musket, this is exactly as I received it, and my feelings on what was done to it probably mirror yours.
Recently I picked up an 1809 Potsdam and knew going out that it was going to be in bad shape (the price was a bit too reasonable) I headed down to meet with the College student who owned it. He is a pretty upright young guy and tells me it came to him in this condition last summer while doing some work for the neighbor of his extended family which he was visiting them 'up north' For the sake of geological purposes I live in Southern California.
So while I have scoured the internet there just isnt as much on these muskets as I would prefer to know and I know there are parts of the story I can never know because records were so sparse and undetailed. However, I want to verify what I think I do know as well as learn some specific things. The under side of the barrel is marked with 184(last number not legible) Plate screws are marked 47 so Ill take a stab that it was built in 1847, top of the barrel is marked 56 so I am assuming thats the stamp for 1856 conversion to percussion. And markings indicating it was built in Saarn. There are a few stamps that I dont understand (some on the tang that I will need to get for later) a very deep stamped 7 in the center of the underside of the barrel (havnt measured the caliber yet maybe for the caliber size?), and a series of hand etched X's that I am puzzled about.
At some point (from the looks over it VERY long ago) the stock was cut to be a half stock so everything forward of the first band, including the ramrod is gone, I would guess to convert it into a cheap shotgun? and the hammer (which functions properly) is not the original it appears to be a hand forged hammer made in a hell of a hurry and press fit into the lock, this looks and feels to me like a very old bush fix and I am puzzled about what to do with that. At some point I think later on the butstock broke behind the tang and someone did a very poor job of scabbing in a very ugly but probably usable substitute. That work appears to be a little more modern but still pretty old, certainly not in my lifetime. Then at some point recently someone began to scrub the patina off of the rifle. In many ways it would appear to me that someone or several someones decided to do the list of things one is told never to do with antique muskets.
Any significant historic $ based value this musket had is long gone so as I see it I am left with only two viable options 1. Bring it back to original new condition (which I know is not the preferable option) 2. Leave it as is as a conversation piece (though I will forever feel bad about its condition) Breaking it down as a parts weapon feels wrong and I am unwilling to do that.
I would appreciate any info I am missing, and certainly I am open to thoughts about what to do with it that both gives this historic item the respect it deserves but also makes some functional use of the item.
Recently I picked up an 1809 Potsdam and knew going out that it was going to be in bad shape (the price was a bit too reasonable) I headed down to meet with the College student who owned it. He is a pretty upright young guy and tells me it came to him in this condition last summer while doing some work for the neighbor of his extended family which he was visiting them 'up north' For the sake of geological purposes I live in Southern California.
So while I have scoured the internet there just isnt as much on these muskets as I would prefer to know and I know there are parts of the story I can never know because records were so sparse and undetailed. However, I want to verify what I think I do know as well as learn some specific things. The under side of the barrel is marked with 184(last number not legible) Plate screws are marked 47 so Ill take a stab that it was built in 1847, top of the barrel is marked 56 so I am assuming thats the stamp for 1856 conversion to percussion. And markings indicating it was built in Saarn. There are a few stamps that I dont understand (some on the tang that I will need to get for later) a very deep stamped 7 in the center of the underside of the barrel (havnt measured the caliber yet maybe for the caliber size?), and a series of hand etched X's that I am puzzled about.
At some point (from the looks over it VERY long ago) the stock was cut to be a half stock so everything forward of the first band, including the ramrod is gone, I would guess to convert it into a cheap shotgun? and the hammer (which functions properly) is not the original it appears to be a hand forged hammer made in a hell of a hurry and press fit into the lock, this looks and feels to me like a very old bush fix and I am puzzled about what to do with that. At some point I think later on the butstock broke behind the tang and someone did a very poor job of scabbing in a very ugly but probably usable substitute. That work appears to be a little more modern but still pretty old, certainly not in my lifetime. Then at some point recently someone began to scrub the patina off of the rifle. In many ways it would appear to me that someone or several someones decided to do the list of things one is told never to do with antique muskets.
Any significant historic $ based value this musket had is long gone so as I see it I am left with only two viable options 1. Bring it back to original new condition (which I know is not the preferable option) 2. Leave it as is as a conversation piece (though I will forever feel bad about its condition) Breaking it down as a parts weapon feels wrong and I am unwilling to do that.
I would appreciate any info I am missing, and certainly I am open to thoughts about what to do with it that both gives this historic item the respect it deserves but also makes some functional use of the item.
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