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Japanese Bess stock upgrade

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Thanks, I've seen that photo and it does a good job showing the stock differences between repro/original. I wonder if anyone has actually done what I'd like to do with the Miroku.
 
Here's a comparison photo showing a Long Land Pattern (it has an early style replacement cock), a Pedersoli, and an Indian Pattern. You can see how the Pedersoli comb is much shorter and the butt plate is short also by about 1/4". The Pedersoli butt plate is the size of a British carbine plate.
View attachment 43082
Mike

The older Pedersoli Bess’s Muskets from the 1970’s had a buttstock and wrist that was a little more closer to that of a true second model, the comb had about 1/8 more height and the radical notch wasn’t as long, giving it the impression of a real Brown Bess. I suspect that pederosli didn’t actually make those stocks, during the bicentenial many of the Brown Bess musket Reproductions were assembled in the United States and the UK at the direction of Sandy Mcnab and coach harness. They made the barrels and stocks for a long land and short land pattern bess, the locks were marked Tower, Grice and Stowe. It was really a great time for gun collectors, those Coach Harness reproductions (Rappa, Nagrasent and Navy Arms) were exceptional.

Thanks, I've seen that photo and it does a good job showing the stock differences between repro/original. I wonder if anyone has actually done what I'd like to do with the Miroku.

I know a few who have successfully restocked a Miroku Bess by Dixie Gun Works and Navy Arms Using blanks with a pre-carved butt stock and forearm, this turns out rather nice but requires a lot of craftsmanship. The result is a very true looking second model reproduction, but again the cost vs. benefit is only realized if ... you can do the work yourself And most can’t.

I also know a few who have failed trying to use a Pedersoli pre-carved stock, the main issue being the breech section of the stock. The geometry of the breech, breech plug to lock mortise just doesn’t work and by the time you’ve made it work, you’ve had to filed off steel from the breech flat and lock pan and then carved out the lock mortise to a very delicate stock, too delicate. You need about 1/8 more wood between the breech area and lock mortise.

I know one guy did from a reenactment group that did swap a Miroku lock on a pederoli musket, this involved minimal removal of wood and a slight swaggering of the lock bolt holes And then a minor shift in the vent hole from its sunset position to sunrise (Hardly noticeable). The lock between the Pedersoli and MIroku Brown Bess’s is about the only thing that’s remotely similar. The barrels are a different taper and weight.
 
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