Want To Shoot My Brown Bess

A number of years ago I purchased a Brown Bess musket from Gunbroker. It was stamped with Dixie Gunworks. I contacted Dixie Gunworks, and from information they requested, they identified the musket as being made by Miruko of Japan between the early 1980’s to the late 1990’s. It is .75 caliber with a barrel length of 41”. Dixie Gunworks recommended I use a .730 round ball with a .010 patch and 80 grains of 2F black powder. I have never shot this musket, and from what I see, I don’t think it has ever been shot. While I am not new to shooting, I am new to black powder shooting. I am interested in shooting this musket. Can anyone give me any hints/information about shooting this musket, like what powder and how much I should put in the pan? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks for your reply.

starman said:

A number of years ago I purchased a Brown Bess musket from Gunbroker. It was stamped with Dixie Gunworks. I contacted Dixie Gunworks, and from information they requested, they identified the musket as being made by Miruko of Japan between the early 1980’s to the late 1990’s. It is .75 caliber with a barrel length of 41”. Dixie Gunworks recommended I use a .730 round ball with a .010 patch and 80 grains of 2F black powder. I have never shot this musket, and from what I see, I don’t think it has ever been shot. While I am not new to shooting, I am new to black powder shooting. I am interested in shooting this musket. Can anyone give me any hints/information about shooting this musket, like what powder and how much I should put in the pan? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks for your reply.

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As you’re new to BP, I would recommend that you find a black powder shooting club in your area. go see the guys there and explain what you are wanting. B P shooter are a friendly bunch. You’ll no doubt get all the help you need. Dixies recommendations won’t be far off, but I’d use a thicker patch, if your bore is actually .75. A lot of the older BB’s including Miroku tended to be a bit smaller, if I remember correctly. So I’d get your barrel mic’d first before buying balls or a mold. 2f should be fine for main charge. Some people use main charge in the pan too, but I prefer Swiss null b for priming, but that’s just me.

From my experience I would say follow Dixie's instructions. My most accurate load for my Italian Bess was 80 grains of GOEX 2f. Either more or less and the groups opened up fast. I used a .735" Lyman mold (.750" bore) and a paper patch. Someone had given me a stack of round paper filters from a lab. They were tough and also an ideal fit though I never measured them, just the right diameter too. 2f will work in the pan fine. 3 or 4 f is better for priming but then you have to buy a pound and it'll last half a lifetime, stick with the same powder you shoot. A common mistake is to load the pan with powder but you only need about a third of a pan max for successful ignition. Lyman made molds in .735" and .715" diameter and I have both though I don't know if they are available now. I don't know where you would find a .730" mold but there are other manufacturers out there. I suggest you measure the bore or have someone do it for you before investing in a mold.

I live in Central Kentucky. There are several shooting clubs in my area, but none seem to have any black powder shooters or anyone interested in BP. I'm kind of on my own with BP. I appreciate the information, especially concerning ball size. I'll see if I can borrow some calipers and measure the true size of the bore. I have purchased a can each of 2F and 3F black powder. I still need balls and patches. Anything else? Should the patches be lubed? How about cleaning after shooting? What suggestions do you have? I expect the mechanics of cleaning will be different from a modern rifle.

I am also interested in making paper cartridges. Any suggestions on how to do so?

Yes, lube the patches with anything from spit to store bought bp lube. A few spare flints are always handy and for cleaning a screw driver that fits the lock screws correctly. Water is the best cleaning solution for black powder and the oil of your choice. This isn’t rocket science and you will easily find a way to make it as expensive and complex as you like.

Welcome to this wonderful hobby and you have a fine musket to start off using. Vendors such as Dixie Gun Works and Track of the Wolf and others will become go to shopping sites. Track is likely one of the better sources for the large 1" flints you will need and the tools to remove the flint, knap the flint and bags to hold equipment.

Central Kentucky and no black powder traditional clubs? Take a trip to Fort Boonesborough. Maybe a trip to Friendship Indiana for the Spring NMLRA Shoots.

Good, you have real black powder. The substitutes for black powder simply do not work satisfactorily in a flint lock. Patches should be lubricated. Fortunately, the lube can be most anything from spit, dish soap, Murphy's Oil Soap, olive oil, greases such as tallow, mink oil or mixes such as 1 part Ballistol in 5 to 7 parts of water. The patch can be all cotton pillow ticking from a variety of sources. The patches can be cut at the muzzle with a sharp knife or in squares cut from the cloth using scissors.

The black powder fouling is quite corrosive, so the musket will have to be cleaned shortly after firing. Fortunately black powder fouling is dissolvable in water. A few drops of dish soap help, but aren't necessary. A cleaning 12 gauge jag and a working rod will be beneficial when cleaning. You will need a plug for the touch hole such as a bamboo skewer because you will be pouring a lot of water in the bore. Finish with alcohol to displace the water and a rust inhibiting lubricant (Barricade) for storage. Store muzzle down to let the oil flow away from the breech.

Don't expect rifle like accuracy from this smooth bore musket. It will be somewhat heavy and there are no sights except for the bayonet lug and your eye. Do expect to have a lot of fun and expect to meet a lot of friendly folk who want to help you out.

starman said:

A number of years ago I purchased a Brown Bess musket from Gunbroker. It was stamped with Dixie Gunworks. I contacted Dixie Gunworks, and from information they requested, they identified the musket as being made by Miruko of Japan between the early 1980’s to the late 1990’s. It is .75 caliber with a barrel length of 41”. Dixie Gunworks recommended I use a .730 round ball with a .010 patch and 80 grains of 2F black powder. I have never shot this musket, and from what I see, I don’t think it has ever been shot. While I am not new to shooting, I am new to black powder shooting. I am interested in shooting this musket. Can anyone give me any hints/information about shooting this musket, like what powder and how much I should put in the pan? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks for your reply.

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Hello and welcome. I, too, love to shoot my Bess. As a matter of fact, you can see me and my Bess on the photos section in my 1770s Militia impression. My first mould was a .735. It proved way too large even to “dry ball” it. It was too fouled to load after only about 5 shots. I backed off to to a .710. It seems to be just right. I roll newsprint cartridges and can shoot all afternoon without issues. Grenadier is very correct. You will not get rifle accuracy, but with practice, you can get that ball pretty close to where you want it. I have had my Pedersoli Bess for 12 years, now. I clean her right there at the range when I am through. I take the lock off and clean it. I plug the vent hole with a tooth pick and Flush the barrel with water only and swab it out. I dry it off inside and out and give all metal a good wiping with some bore butter. I have never had any rust or problems. You will love your musket. Take care of it and I am sure that it will give you many good years of service.

Enfield1 said:

My first mould was a .735. It proved way too large even to “dry ball” it. It was too fouled to load after only about 5 shots.

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CORRECT!
IF you load the Bess for accuracy, as with a rifle it becomes too fouled after a few shots to load the large ball.


We did a "study" of this with five Bess back in the 1990's, some were Pedersoli (Italian) and some were Miroku (Japanese). It was in Maryland and the humidity was incredibly high the day we tried the test. We used 80 grains of 3Fg for the powder charge.

Prior to the test we used .735 round ball It worked well for accuracy.

We knew, however, .735 was too big for military ammo designed for speed loading so...,
We had 24 rounds loaded of .715 ball each in our cartridge boxes. NONE of us were able to fire our entire boxes of ammo before the fouling got sooo thick that even by removing the ball and trying to ram it bare, we could not seat the ball on the powder charge.

We were able to get two of the muskets unfouled at the line, and one of the lads had some .678 size ball with him, so we were able to fire the remaining ammo in two ammo boxes by swapping out the .715 with .678 ball.
We found that .678 round ball worked. Probably would have been better to completely clear and empty one of the guns, and start anew with 24 rounds of .678 ball to try to get all 24 fired.

Could we have been successful with .690 ball? Probably, but we didn't attempt it at the time as we could not find any .690 ball nor a mold that summer.


LD

I know from my experience on several woods walks and shooting my Loyalist Arms Long Land Pattern with a bore of 0.780 that shooting a paper cartridge wrapped ball, the bore will foul so that by about the 6th shot the bore is too fouled to load. I would spit on the ball and paper before loading and that helped. Best was my ball of tow on a string. I'd take a sip of water from the canteen to use to dampen the tow and push it through the fouling to continue shooting. The heat from the previous rounds dried the bore. The rest of the water in my mouth would be used to rinse the ball of tow for the next pass down the bore. Others on the team didn't wipe the bore and most ended up with a stuck ball. Undersized balls, properly patched are the procedure to flow as long as there is a plan to address the fouling. Typically we used Jack's Battle Powder, some of the dirtiest, most fouling powder available.

Take a look at Murphy's Muskets on Youtube. He is very savvy with muzzleloaders.

I've been shooting my Pedersoli Bess for over 20 years. .715 Ball and .010 Spit patch over anywhere from 80 to 110 grains of powder depending on how I feel that day. 80 grains of 2F will make your pound of powder last longer. I don't have a problem with fouling and can shoot a 20 shot woodswalk with no problems. I have a Lyman steel mold that I have been using since I got the gun. Come to Friendship Indiana for the NMLRA shoots whenever the Covid-19 lets us shoot again. Come to the Primitive camp and ask for the Widowmakers.

Now there is an invitation not to miss . I met them one dark night round my non primitive camp near the very the Primitive North Eastern NMLRA rendevous up Michigan I think. I was a member but had no period tentage . So attracted the ' Red hats' as they then where . Whether they where on Dog or just curious they presented a most ' Forest Groungy' wild looking bunch of wild men .But I explained my position and they seemed to find me ammusing enough for Brer Lizard to Commission me' Leftenant Mork' more for my International novelty & ability to recite earthy poetry and spin amusing travellers tales . They maybe did need a shot of culture. Besides I am a gunmaker and a tolerable bushman and as rough as they might look they are a company of Gentlemen inside . While not the worlds worse shot I useually served as 'Confusion" walking amongst the contestants keenly aware of the cunning tricks the courses had in store in the great Woods walks they put on . I would signal to non existant ambushers , step over trip wires that didn't exist , sight up trees like there was some reason and generally create ' confusion'. even without talking in broad Yorkshire (. I wore a kilt anyway & most Americans cant tell the difference )Later they changed to' Widow Makers' . and there where Eds 'Green hats' in the mix being alike in status . Rough cut diamonds some what prone to colourful 'terminology 'But Gentlemen all and the shootingest group you'd want to meet. Regards Rudyard

Okay, I will have add my second to Rudyard's recommendation. The Widow Makers may seem like a bunch of wildmen, they are very knowledgeable with respect to muzzleloading. One member of the Widow Makers belongs to the same gun club I belong to. He arranged for me to find them on one of my visits to the Alafai. They welcomed me as if I were a member. I have competed (? well I call it competing we shot in the same Woods Walk) at Fort de Chartres. They were there in force with two five man teams. They placed very high. My team wasn't last.

So do indeed take up Many Klatch's invitation.

Some years back a friend and myself decided to try paper cartridges. We have 20 ga. or 62 cal smoothbores. We found that by going down to 575 diameter balls we got up to 15 shots before feeling any resistance . The accuracy was passable minute of a deer at 50 yds. I remember being able to hold 4 inch groups .

Some great advice already given, so I'll just post some gratuitous images! A couple of stills from a video with Bess. This is one of the special edition, early 1970's made guns that included a numbered inlay for the 23rd Regiment of Foot, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. I think a run of 1000 were planned and about 870 were sold. This one was made in '74.

My guess is these where the ones ' Coach Harness ' had promoted , I knew only of one sold to a Sheffield MLAGB member don't recall the engraved Escucheon . Lock was the Italian Grice lock . Later on I stocked up a Kit for a customer wood was Merranti but that was what he sent me . Kit Ravenshear was in the mix but to what extent I didn't know & I never asked him . Coach Harness owner Sandy Mac Nab gave it up and became a Shakespearian actor at Stratford on Avon . This said I could be way off & some other concern made them like Petersoli. Yours look fine to me.
Regards Rudyard

I owned 2 miruko Brown Bess Muskets, they're pretty good quality shooters. I got rid of mine because I just got tired for fixing the stocks and didn't want to restock, the locks are very strong, between the recoil and the lock, cracks and splits are very common with this Japanese made muskets. The stocks were made of some lower grade quality maple and stained in walnut brown. I think a few were made with American walnut but neither of mine were walnut. The barrels are made with the highest standards of quality, doesn't get better than a company that make shotgun barrels.

So there are 3 types of Japanese made Bess Muskets, most are differiented by caliber, early ones were .69.70. Some batches were made in 72 and later production guns were .75 caliber. The 2 I owned were .72 and .75, I loaded with a .69 ball paper patch and 80-90 grains of 2F and prime with 3F. Between shots I'd swab with a light amount of cooking oil to move the fouling.

best of luck ! enjoy

Yes I've seen one and only one in .69. The story was that the Japs to save manufacturing did barrels of the same caliber for their first Charleville, and their first Bess. All that was needed then was some adjustments to length. The first batch of Bess when the caliber was spotted by reenactors, caused them to enlarge the Bess barrels on the next batch. They went to 12 gauge (.72), the story goes, as that made "sense" to them. Why wouldn't the shooter want to be able to use readily found components? Besides, I'm told that some of the Pedersoli Bess were being put out with .730 barrels, though touted as .75. Again "the market" made it plain that a Bess should be .75 whether Italian or Japanese...., so the third adjustment happened.

Curiously, the first run of .69 Bess were correct for some Bess "Carbine" or "fusil" models of the period. Apparently "carbine" to the British meant smaller caliber than a standard musket. The chap who owned the .69 Bess still has it, and has been offered some rather enticing amounts of cash for it, by fellows doing a British officer, and wanting a "fusil" that is also military.

LD

starman said:

A number of years ago I purchased a Brown Bess musket from Gunbroker. It was stamped with Dixie Gunworks. I contacted Dixie Gunworks, and from information they requested, they identified the musket as being made by Miruko of Japan between the early 1980’s to the late 1990’s. It is .75 caliber with a barrel length of 41”. Dixie Gunworks recommended I use a .730 round ball with a .010 patch and 80 grains of 2F black powder. I have never shot this musket, and from what I see, I don’t think it has ever been shot. While I am not new to shooting, I am new to black powder shooting. I am interested in shooting this musket. Can anyone give me any hints/information about shooting this musket, like what powder and how much I should put in the pan? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks for your reply.

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