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aging brown bess (probably again?)

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old ugly

40 Cal.
Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
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Location
stink dog creek, Alberta
new pedersoli brown bess
I want to age the whole bess, lock stock and barrel. if you could lead me in the right direction were to find pictures and info on how to do the following, and what it should look like if it were used and about 25 years old and still in use.

-the barrel needs the information stamps deleted (I think I saw somewhere on here how to do that)
-the stock needs to be aged.
-what stamps should be on the gun if it were original?
-any pictures of guns that have been aged would be handy.
sorry if this is all repetitive.
thanks
ou

-
 
Go and look at IMAs web site to see what a 240 year old musket looks like.
Stamps are available from Track of the Wolf s web site , but be warned that these are not close to fool an expert , for good stamps you will need a time machine .
Most people just use them , this ages them enough .
Check your local laws regarding fakes etc.
The web is full of faked up reproduction Bess muskets , they seem to sprout up in the US a lot nowdays . :wink:
 
I'd avoid the IMA site, as the stamps changed after 1800, and IMA sells 3rd model or India Pattern Bess, which will be different than the Bess from the 18th century in some of the stamps and locations of them...

Track Hand Stamps may be found here. However, they are NOT easily applied as they are flat, and the barrel and the lock plates are rounded surfaces...so with some of the stamps you have to learn how to strike the stamp twice to make a uniform surface impression instead of a double impression. In my opinion it's better to have somebody apply them who knows how it's done and the proper locations...

To age the metal of the Bess to look like it is an old weapon in the hands of a seasoned veteran soldier, you need to perform a controlled rust of the visible steel parts, then polish them back toward brand new with a yellow scrubbie such as used on ceramic stovetops...soft scrub helps too...but a green pot scrubber is too abrasive. You don't want to return it to factory bright, but you also don't want it super rusted like a two centuries old antique...if you do want it to look like a relic, then you want a browning solution and follow those directions.

Brass can be aged by smearing the goo from your first cleaning patch on the brass bits. Clean the musket after shooting several rounds, but save the first couple of cleaning patches or chunks of tow in a ziplock bag. When done, smear the brass bits...and let them sit for a couple of days...they should be nicely tarnished. They can always be reduced in tarnish with Never Dull or Brasso.

I would not remove modern markings such as a serial number or modern proof marks...as they are important.

As long as you don't sell it as an original or claim (or allow a person selling it on your behalf to claim) you don't know if it's an original or not... you're not in danger of forgery accusations. If somebody buys an aged bess from you, and they turn around and make a false claim, you're still not in danger of forgery accusations, as long as you show your buyer knew it was a repro when you sold it.


LD
 
Best way I know to age a new gun is to get out and use it. Lots. The dings and scuffs will always look more authentic than anything you can do at the workbench.
 
The 2nd model by Perersoli, is really a mid to late period Bess. To really pick hairs, it's more suited to the, Republican France/Napoleonic Era than the Colonial Era.
The 2nd Models found themselves issued out along with the new and simpler 3rd Models or East India Patterns.

The threat of Republican France caught the British off guard and during the arms build up the simple Bess pattered for the EIC became the standard known as the Third Model.

As far as a 25 year old Bess, the question needs to be by whom? In Crown control a 25 year old musket was likely still in pretty good condition. Remember 3rd models and maybe some 2nd models too, were sold to Mexico and used by Mexico in the the War for Texas and later the Mexican War with the United States. These 25 year old muskets were still serviceable.

In civilian/native hands what a 25 year old gun looked like is anybodies guess.
 
Rifleman1776 said:
BrownBear said:
Best way I know to age a new gun is to get out and use it. Lots. The dings and scuffs will always look more authentic than anything you can do at the workbench.

Amen, Bro. :applause:

Take it out and shoot/clean it every two weeks for a year. You'll be suprised how "used" it will begin to look. The dirty patch on the brass hardware trick works well also.
 
I don't want to try to pass it of as an original. I am only able to shoot the gun 2 or 3 times a year so naturally aging it will take along time.
so what i would like, is when i go to rendezvous ( 1 per year) it will look aged like my 25 year old duds, it is way to shiny and new now.
thanks for helping
ou
 
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