Brown Bess or Charleville which is the better musket?

[FlinterNick]

That is very interesting. Thank you.

If you do decide to get it, please let us know of the Miroku or other Bess lock plate/s fit the lock mortise. That is one thing I would be concerned about if the inlet was too large.

Gus

Yea lock is most important all the other stuff will likely need to be replaced .... mostly the brass.

The miruko I have was reworked at some point with creativity ... someone tried to double loop the thimbles to the barrel lugs ; very hard to do; regarding thimble placement drilling and pinning.

 

[Artificer]

Yea lock is most important all the other stuff will likely need to be replaced .... mostly the brass.

The miruko I have was reworked at some point with creativity ... someone tried to double loop the thimbles to the barrel lugs ; very hard to do; regarding thimble placement drilling and pinning.

I wonder why they did that? The British stopped did that with the P1730, but stopped doing it from the P1740 onwards.

Gus

 

[FlinterNick]

I wonder why they did that? The British stopped did that with the P1730, but stopped doing it from the P1740 onwards.

Gus

I think because it was a kit and the previous owner didn’t want to cut the additional under lug mortise; it looked like it was started then stopped. And also the sling swivel was incorrectly secured through the second thimble... this caused stock to crack. To fix that I used a later Pratt thimble and forged a slotted lug to secure the thimble and sling swivel (never ever again). I also had to Dutchmen relair some of the wood .... this stock is in decent shape now but its far from authentic.

 

[Artificer]

Wow, OK, now I understand.

We had a guy in our unit that had a problem he could not fix or get fixed w/his Miroku Bess, before I joined the unit. He eventually gave up and got another musket. After I joined and began fixing muskets for some of our guys, he said he would donate the gun to the unit as a "loaner musket," if I would repair it. Oh, there were also some missing parts by that time. Long story short, I procured and modified some parts to fit and FINALLY found the cause of the problem. Since many Miroku Bess's have that dished in trigger guard, this one caused the bottom of the trigger to just drag on it and cause it the sear to hit the half cock notch. When I finally figured out what the problem was, I just shortened the bottom of the trigger and rounded/smoothed iy. NO more problem. I mention this in case anyone else has a Miroku Bess that catches the half cock and they might have the same problem.

Gus

 

[BillinOregon]

Just want to thank all the contributors to this most educational thread.
I, too, believe the Spanish muskets get too little appreciation.

 

[FlinterNick]

Wow, OK, now I understand.

We had a guy in our unit that had a problem he could not fix or get fixed w/his Miroku Bess, before I joined the unit. He eventually gave up and got another musket. After I joined and began fixing muskets for some of our guys, he said he would donate the gun to the unit as a "loaner musket," if I would repair it. Oh, there were also some missing parts by that time. Long story short, I procured and modified some parts to fit and FINALLY found the cause of the problem. Since many Miroku Bess's have that dished in trigger guard, this one caused the bottom of the trigger to just drag on it and cause it the sear to hit the half cock notch. When I finally figured out what the problem was, I just shortened the bottom of the trigger and rounded/smoothed iy. NO more problem. I mention this in case anyone else has a Miroku Bess that catches the half cock and they might have the same problem.

Gus

Im actually restoring a bicentennial (1976) miruko bess. Lots and lots of epoxy. I think it’s made of cherry the wood is fragil

 

[FlinterNick]

Just want to thank all the contributors to this most educational thread.
I, too, believe the Spanish muskets get too little appreciation.

Problem there is few people make them .... Pedersoli halted its production of them a few years back.

 

[BillinOregon]

Yes, Nicholas. Even the Indian copies have dried up, and I won't live long enough for parts from the Rifle Shoppe, even if I had the skill to put them to use.

 

[FlinterNick]

Yes, Nicholas. Even the Indian copies have dried up, and I won't live long enough for parts from the Rifle Shoppe, even if I had the skill to put them to use.

Yea TRS has a few patterns high in stock ; 1756 long land and 1766 charleville .... otherwise I’m waffling in ordering an 1817 common rifle while I’m in my 40’s lol.