Identification of barrel marks

[Jonathan Lovell]

Hi Everyone

I am trying to identify some barrel marks on a pair of military muskets I have. They are walnut stocked flint/doglocks from around the 1740s with a .75 inch caliber and 3 ramrod thimbles and a somewhat unusual bayonet lug. They look similar to an old style Brown Bess but are most probably continental in origin.

The marks are: T GB which is stamped on the barrel in front of the rear sight (the T is over the GB). The second is a box cartouche hidden under the barrel that reads CH and looks just like a smiley face.

Has anyone seen these marks before and does anyone know what they might mean?

Thanks, your help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jonathan Lovell]

 

[Grenadier1758]

The musket is a percussion lock and probably dates to the 1850's. I am curious about the threaded hole at the breech of the barrel with the cartouche. The marks appear to be inspection / assembly stamps.

Thanks for providing the pictures. They may help others in identifying the muskets.

 

[Jonathan Lovell]

Hi, thanks for getting back. The percussion lock is a conversion. The other photo is how that gun would have looked and is in the original form.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I wonder about the dog-lock. The Swedes were fond of the Dog Lock well into the 18th century..... ???

LD

 

[hawkeye2]

"I am curious about the threaded hole at the breech of the barrel with the cartouche."

We are looking at the bottom of the barrel, isn't that the hole where the conversion drum was screwed in?

 

[Jonathan Lovell]

Yes, you are looking at the underside. The cartouche is normally hidden by the stock.

 

[Jonathan Lovell]

I have talked to others, it is not a Norwegian and most probably not a Swedish musket, but it certainly has a Swedish connection, perhaps during the 7 years war.

 

[Jonathan Lovell]

To be more precise, they fit best as relics of the Russo-Swedish War. Frederick I (FR) was King of Sweden from 1720 and Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel (Kassel - modern) from 1730 to his death in 1751. It is feasible that both guns were built around the time of the War of the Austrian Succession (1741 to 1743), which was fought concurrently with the Russo-Swedish War.

 

[TFoley]

It might just look like this one - https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/76/392/swedish-doglock-flintlock-musket

 

[Jonathan Lovell]

Hi, no, I already looked at that one, the stock is all wrong. My pair really do look like the old style Brown Bess. A number of European experts came to this conclusion, but it is certainly not British.

 

[Jonathan Lovell]

It might just look like this one - https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/76/392/swedish-doglock-flintlock-musket

You were right about the country of origin; I found several Swedish guns that are very similar. Interesting that they were built for England (perhaps even English auxiliary infantry in the American colonies ;-); I guess that would be the GB on the barrel.

Thanks for your help identifying the gun; it is most satisfying to finally know the answer.

 

[Jonathan Lovell]

M 1762 is the second gun, the first may be earlier.