1842 Austrian musket

[painter]

My wife owns a family heirloom Austrian 70 cal musket that's in pretty decent shape. It looks much like this one except it has a cheek piece on the stock, and there is no ramrod because my wife broke it as a little girl using it as a sword.

The barrel has most of it's bluing except for near the breech and around the snail where the pitting is much worse. I'd like to shoot the thing once I clean up the bore, as long as the pitting inside the barrel isn't severe. I'm pretty new to BP, and have no knowledge about muskets. What size ball should I use? Do I use a patch? An over powder/ball card?

I'd appreciate it if you more knowledgeable folks could point me in the right direction.

Thanks.

 

[TreeMan]

Clean it up and check it to make sure it’s shootable. Get a gunsmith to check it out, or use a bore scope. Get a mic and measure the bore then check back here. If it’s safe to shoot you could load it with buckshot and use it as a shotgun. I’ve tried patched balls and bare balls in my smoothbore. The patched ones are way more accurate in mine. If it’s safe to shoot but has a rough bore a patched ball may be tough to load.

 

[jaegerstutzen]

My wife owns a family heirloom Austrian 70 cal musket that's in pretty decent shape. It looks much like this one except it has a cheek piece on the stock, and there is no ramrod because my wife broke it as a little girl using it as a sword.

The barrel has most of it's bluing except for near the breech and around the snail where the pitting is much worse. I'd like to shoot the thing once I clean up the bore, as long as the pitting inside the barrel isn't severe. I'm pretty new to BP, and have no knowledge about muskets. What size ball should I use? Do I use a patch? An over powder/ball card?

I'd appreciate it if you more knowledgeable folks could point me in the right direction.

Thanks. Go to the NSSA web page. Click on forums. They have musket shooting down to a fine art. I am a member but don't shoot smoothbore. If you can't find what you need get back to ma. Jaeger

 

[painter]

Thanks, NSSA...the skeeters?

 

[hawkeye2]

N-SSA, the skirmishers. North-South Skirmish Association. Apparently many years ago the NSSA had issues with the N-SSA initials hence the hyphen.

 

[painter]

Ahhh...that makes more sense.

Thanks.