Hello all. Happy Holidays! I have been interested in a bess for a long time but I want one a little more historically accurate than the Pedersolis. Any experience/opinions regarding the Track of the Wolf kits? Thanks!
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Brown Bess kit
- Thread starter Magungo1066
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I think they’re the same as the rifle shops kits. Probably as good as you can find. Start a thread on your build too, it’d be very interesting to a lot of us. Good luck!
sportster73hp
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I purchased the rifle shop bess after “Dave” said they were more accurate than the Pedersoli. Required more work than my Kibler but worth the effort. If you don’t have the experience building and heat treating a lock pay them to do it.
sportster73hp
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Wow that bess looks great!
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Friend, did it take a long time to receive the kit?
sportster73hp
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I think it was 8-10 week wait. It would have been less if i had the skills to make the lock from castings
satwel
40 Cal.
I built the TOTW Long Land Bess kit, including the lock. It was the first lock I built from a set of castings so I had to do a lot of research to find out how to perform the heat treating steps for the mainspring, frizzen and bridle. That was almost 10 years ago. I believe the lock today comes fully assembled and requires only polishing. I found the kit to be a lot of work, but it turned out great. The components are all high quality. Dave Person wasn't kidding when he called the 1742 Long Land Pattern the Mack truck of muskets. It is an extremely robust flintlock and great fun to shoot. I was thinking of building another one until I went to the website and saw the long wait times.
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Hi,
The Rifle Shoppe parts sets provide the most options for historically correct Besses. I am not crazy about their precarved stocks and usually build from a blank using their cast parts. Before diving into owning a Bess, it is wise to think about what you want it for. If you want it for reenacting or as a historically correct addition to your collection you will want to understand the different patterns and time frames. If you want a gun for shooting or hunting, then you may want to stick with the earlier patterns (pre 1756) because they tend to have more drop at the heel and shoulder better. Later patterns are straighter and often hard to fit for aiming properly. If you want a good shooting or hunting gun consider building a colonial restock of a short land pattern Bess. That way you can have a shorter and lighter gun but create a historically correct stock that fits you well for shooting. Here is a long land pattern example using parts salvaged from an early British commercial musket by Wilson. It is much better fitting than the ordnance issued guns. With respect to your initial question about TOW's kit, it is an ealry pattern Bess and is a pretty good kit. However, beware of the plans they sell for it. The dimensions are about 10% too large in width and height and I suspect they copied someone's reproduction not an original gun. Also I question the lock markings "Willets 1746" because in my references, he does not show up as a contractor until 1762.
dave
The Rifle Shoppe parts sets provide the most options for historically correct Besses. I am not crazy about their precarved stocks and usually build from a blank using their cast parts. Before diving into owning a Bess, it is wise to think about what you want it for. If you want it for reenacting or as a historically correct addition to your collection you will want to understand the different patterns and time frames. If you want a gun for shooting or hunting, then you may want to stick with the earlier patterns (pre 1756) because they tend to have more drop at the heel and shoulder better. Later patterns are straighter and often hard to fit for aiming properly. If you want a good shooting or hunting gun consider building a colonial restock of a short land pattern Bess. That way you can have a shorter and lighter gun but create a historically correct stock that fits you well for shooting. Here is a long land pattern example using parts salvaged from an early British commercial musket by Wilson. It is much better fitting than the ordnance issued guns. With respect to your initial question about TOW's kit, it is an ealry pattern Bess and is a pretty good kit. However, beware of the plans they sell for it. The dimensions are about 10% too large in width and height and I suspect they copied someone's reproduction not an original gun. Also I question the lock markings "Willets 1746" because in my references, he does not show up as a contractor until 1762.
dave
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Even though my BB is a kit built Navy Arms/Pedersoli I loved shooting it. IMHO it was one of the mostest funnest guns to shoot I ever handled. But, before acquiring one, consider your personal age and health. I had to give up shooting mine, and other bp long rifles, when bad health sapped my strength. Ole' Bess is now a wall hanger and will be up for sale soon.
sportster73hp
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Dave, is that maple and how much drop is in your stock?
Wow Dave. Beautiful Brown Bess. Your Wilson Bess is in much better shape than mine. Here are a few pics of one that I have.
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Hi,
The stock is sugar maple and represents a colonial restocking of an early British commercial musket from the 1740s and 1750s. The drop at heel is 2 3/8".
dave
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Hi Lexington1,
That is a nice commercial musket. Are there markings on the butt plate? My restocked example used earlier parts from Wilson and some fabricated from sheet by the colonial stocker. It represents a gun owned by a NJ militia soldier early in the Rev War.
dave
That is a nice commercial musket. Are there markings on the butt plate? My restocked example used earlier parts from Wilson and some fabricated from sheet by the colonial stocker. It represents a gun owned by a NJ militia soldier early in the Rev War.
dave
It is a New Jersey marked example on the buttplate. It's pretty worn, but you can see it fairly well in good light. The lock is marked Wilson and it has Wilson marks on the barrel. This one had a wooden rod originally. Unfortunately it had been cut off at 34" barrel length and half stocked. It has kind of a neat brass repair around the lock. That Bess you made looks fantastic!
Here is a shot of the lock.
Thank you, @lexington1. Your lock is an excellent example of a flint lock converted to percussion. There is the evidence of the pan that was removed and the holes for the location of the frizzen spring.
Lexington1,
That is one of the 2000 stand of arms that New Jersey bought in 1758 to arm the militia regiments in each county. The S/42 rack number on the thumbpiece is either for Sussex or Somerset County.
Dave-person,
Very nice Wilson! Here's a shot of mine:
Very nice Wilson! Here's a shot of mine:
Awesome! Thank you very much for that information.
