FALSE TOWER OR BROWN BESS

[Pukka Bundook]

In the early 19th Century, Great Britain was short of muskets to counter the "Invasion threat" from France, so did purchase so many thousand muskets from Belgium, made to the India Pattern I believe.
I am far from any books on this, and am poor at keeping it all in my head, but the above musket may well be one of these.

It looks well built and a good arm.
Sorry this is vague... Will come back with more details when I get at it.

Richard.

[Fernando K]

Hello

I differ with the above. If it were a regulation weapon, manufactured in Belgium, and imported for the military forces of the Empire, it would have the legitimate proofs, the authentic "broad arrow".

It is well known that England imported the lock and the barrel, which were tested in the Tower, and they were stamped with the test punch, two scepters crossed and crowned, and the stock was built in England, in the Minories.

This specimen was acquired in some time by Argentina, and in other museums there are other specimens, of different models, for direct purchases or contraband.

Here it has been mentioned that the inscriptions in the lock seem stamped later, I do not believe it, because the keys, in any case, were bought stamped, and the only thing that was added was the property punch of the Crown, once the lock had been acquired

Affectionately.

[Panoleon]

Hello,

I am pretty sure the crowned W is a Dutch mark. Between 1813 and 1815 the Dutch were in need of muskets en pistols and they bought a lot of British material. There are also British flintlock pistols made in Liege with Dutch markings.

[Fernando K]

Hello

In this matter, any opinion must be based on the photographs of existence of demonstrative specimens.

Affectionately