Belgian charleville circa 1974

Back during the bicentennial celebration I participated in a militia re-enactment company commemorating the Arnold Expedition to Quebec.
I needed a musket and was short on cash. My American Rifleman had a Century Arms advertisement for a Charleville musket made in Belgium so another fellow and I each bought one. The
It makes India muskets look great as it was a cobbled togeather affair. It was proofed as it bore the Belgian black powder proof mark and the barrel was dirty with fouling and some rust pitting.
It appears to be to have old musket parts butt plate trigger guard and barrel bands and a barrel made of seamless tubing.
The stock was pretty close to a 1777 copy.
It was perfect for the militia unit though not PC as they say. It fired a lot of blank charges and I don’t remember it ever failed to go off.
It was sold as a 69 cal but is actually a 62. I never had any 62cal round ball so never live fired it. Now that I have some balls that fit I’m getting the urge to try it out.
It is a certified proved gun and I think the barrel is what was sold to African tribes for hunting.
Any one else remember These guns.

A fellow joined our unit back in '76 and had one of those from Century. The barrel was a straight (untapered) thing of very thin wall construciton and was proofed. He was told that he was welcome but the musket was not, we were all scared of the barrel. I have no idea what he ever did with the gun but he eventually drifted on and never brought the gun to one of the events we participated in. It bore some sembelance to a Charleville and like you I believe it was an African trade gun that Century was promoting as a Charleville to take advantage of the Bicentennial. I believe all the parts were of modern manufacture

hawkeye2 said:

A fellow joined our unit back in '76 and had one of those from Century. The barrel was a straight (untapered) thing of very thin wall construciton and was proofed. He was told that he was welcome but the musket was not, we were all scared of the barrel. I have no idea what he ever did with the gun but he eventually drifted on and never brought the gun to one of the events we participated in. It bore some sembelance to a Charleville and like you I believe it was an African trade gun that Century was promoting as a Charleville to take advantage of the Bicentennial. I believe all the parts were of modern manufacture

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hawkeye2 said:

A fellow joined our unit back in '76 and had one of those from Century. The barrel was a straight (untapered) thing of very thin wall construciton and was proofed. He was told that he was welcome but the musket was not, we were all scared of the barrel. I have no idea what he ever did with the gun but he eventually drifted on and never brought the gun to one of the events we participated in. It bore some sembelance to a Charleville and like you I believe it was an African trade gun that Century was promoting as a Charleville to take advantage of the Bicentennial. I believe all the parts were of modern manufacture

Click to expand...

I to have been mulling that thin barrel. I have had it for 45 years without using a live round and I remember feeling I shouldn’t use it for anything other than blank charges when I got it.
I have it as a wall hanger and will have to pass that fact down to the generations following me.
At least someone remembered them from the past so there must be a few still out there.

Pull the breech plug ,give it a good inspection, a wadded ball should be ok,I have a century blunderbus ive fired some heavy loads through

The Belgian reproductions were horribly designed when one would consider the pattern they were marketed as. Otherwise they’re not a bad modern day flintlock musket design, just not very attractive in design.

I too, had one of those. And I purchased it for the same reason. Funds. Saw ad in Shotgun News.

Only fired powder thru it. After frizzen was " rehardened".

I gave it to my old boss to hang over his fireplace in a new home, when I left for MCRD San Diego in 1975.