Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Brown Musket?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Brown Musket?

    Hello All,
    I have been researching an Indiana Legion regiment, and one of the companies, the Rough and Readies, were issued .69 caliber muskets. In the company's report on the state of the company, the kind of musket they have been issued is simply marked as "39 Brown Muskets .69 caliber." Since this is militia, is it possible they have been given Brown Bess muskets? The other companies in this county regiment have quite a variety such as Lorenz, Belgian, .58 Springfields, Mississippi, and Enfield muskets. This particular unit did cross into Kentucky and fought the 10th Kentucky Partisan Rangers, and would be called upon to defend Kentucky towns along the Ohio multiple times in 1862 especially. I know weapons were very difficult to come by for home guard companies, but I was not aware of Brown Bess muskets in large enough numbers to be issued.

    I have attached a picture I took of the document with the above information. Any help or thoughts are greatly appreciated.

    Click image for larger version

Name:	Brown Musket.PNG
Views:	1
Size:	226.5 KB
ID:	232541
    Derrick Lindow
    5th Tennessee/17th Kentucky

    Descendent of
    Wilson Lee Chapman, 8th Kentucky Cavalry CS
    Isom Byrd, 6th Confederate Cavalry Battalion CS
    Sterman Wall, 35th Kentucky Infantry US
    Byrd Wall, 3rd Kentucky Cavalry US, died June 1862 near Corinth, MS
    John C. Smith, 2nd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry US
    James K. Mullins, Three Forks Battalion, Kentucky Home Guard

  • #2
    Re: Brown Musket?

    The Brown Bess was a .75 caliber musket.
    I wonder if they are referring to one of the 1816 models that were browned.
    Perhaps Curt, Mark or Jason can chime in and offer up some info.
    Tyler Underwood
    Moderator
    Pawleys Island #409 AFM
    Governor Guards, WIG

    Click here for the AC rules.

    The search function located in the upper right corner of the screen is your friend.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Brown Musket?

      I would guess the same as Tyler: it's one of the early models of the 1816/22 that had browned barrels.

      Some of the late model .75 Bess's did come into Confederate ports, with issues being made in the AoT and Vicksburg armies. There are also some reports of 1812 vintage British muskets in the hands of some Confederates at Ft. Donelson.

      William MacDonald

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Brown Musket?

        I would also guess the reference is to "NAB" ("National Armory Brown") muskets of the 1816/22 pattern (Type 2, I think?).
        John Wickett
        Former Carpetbagger
        Administrator (We got rules here! Be Nice - Sign Your Name - No Farbisms)

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Brown Musket?

          Thank you all for responding! Your thoughts definitely help me think it may be the browned barrels that you mention. Thank you again!
          Derrick Lindow
          5th Tennessee/17th Kentucky

          Descendent of
          Wilson Lee Chapman, 8th Kentucky Cavalry CS
          Isom Byrd, 6th Confederate Cavalry Battalion CS
          Sterman Wall, 35th Kentucky Infantry US
          Byrd Wall, 3rd Kentucky Cavalry US, died June 1862 near Corinth, MS
          John C. Smith, 2nd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry US
          James K. Mullins, Three Forks Battalion, Kentucky Home Guard

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Brown Musket?

            Hallo!

            The M1822 went through three "versions."

            The "M1816 Type I's" were browned mostly, but they do turn up with bright barrels or sometimes browned barrels but bright bands. These were made from 1816 through 1822. Lock plates and hammers were left color-case-hardened colors.

            The "M1816 Type II's" made from 1822 through 1831 were the same.

            But in 1831, it was decided to drop the browning on all parts, and go "National Armory Bright." ("M1816 Type III's)

            On the bayonets, they also browned the sockets and elbows to match the browned barrels.

            IMHO. I would infer "Brown" and ".69" as M1822's ("M1816 Types I or II.")

            Curt

            - - - Updated - - -

            Hallo!

            NUG, the 'Besses" are India Pattern (now aka 3rd Models) or occassionally teh rare '"4th Model" with barrel wedges/keys).

            Great Britain had been dumping them for years. Santa Anna was fond of buying them.

            While .75 was the goal, it was not unusual for 18th century and early 19th century 'Besses' to vary up to as high as .80 or .81 and down to .73 or .72. (Why the British Board of Ordnance decided on balls of nominal .685 so they were universal.

            Curt
            Curt Schmidt
            In gleichem Schritt und Tritt, Curt Schmidt

            -Hard and sharp as flint...secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.
            -Haplogroup R1b M343 (Subclade R1b1a2 M269)
            -Pointless Folksy Wisdom Mess, Oblio Lodge #1
            -Vastly Ignorant
            -Often incorrect, technically, historically, factually.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Brown Musket?

              Could the 'Brown' refer to the colour of the metal work? A 'Brown Bess' was chemically and heat treated so that the metalworking including the barrel was a browny/red. See below.
              Andrew Robertshaw

              Comment

              Working...
              X