Japanese Brown Bess identity question.

[Newtire]

Hi,
Probably posted somewhere already so sorry if this is just a repeat.

I have a Brown Bess "replica" that is marked Japan. Question is, Does this mean that it is made by Miroku? Any ideas or a link (still working) that would tell me more about identifying this beast?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You!

Calvin

 

[Steve Blancard]

Yes, made by Miroku. They are very high quality. They are easily recognized by the flat-bottomed trigger guard. The story goes that the original they copied had been dropped at one time, denting the trigger guard. Miroku coped it exactly. I have one that I made into a Frederucksburg musket. The trigger guard is still flat.

 

[BillinOregon]

That's a good Bess you have there, Calvin. Congratulations.

 

[Steve Blancard]

This shows the Miroku trigger guard.

 

[Newtire]

Thanks you guys. Now I won't be afraid to shoot her!

 

[FlinterNick]

The miruko’s made some of the best working Brown Bess’s. While the actual authenticity of the gun is questionable, its a darn good flinter, that lock is like a zippo and will never fail.

The Locks from the 1970’s and 1980’s era guns are often used to make custom Long Lands and Short Lands.

Nicely tapered barrels too !

 

[dave_person]

Hi Newtire,
The Miroku Bess has probably the best and safest barrel of all the commercial repros of Brown Besses. They also have the best designed lock of the commercial repros. The only fault with the locks is they do little to polish or tune them. The internal parts look like they just came out of the mold. I look on them as an unfinished kit that can be turned into one of the best short land pattern Bess locks around.

dave

 

[wcubed]

Nice! I wish I could find one of those.

All I've managed to locate so far for a Miroku is an 1864 Springfield. I'd rather have the Bess.

 

[FlinterNick]

Yes, made by Miroku. They are very high quality. They are easily recognized by the flat-bottomed trigger guard. The story goes that the original they copied had been dropped at one time, denting the trigger guard. Miroku coped it exactly. I have one that I made into a Frederucksburg musket. The trigger guard is still flat.

I’ve heard many stories about how the trigger guard was ‘bent’, from it being purposes flattened to be distinguishable from originals and just being dropped.

The only issue I’ve ever had with miruko Bess’s were the stocks were kinda junky, especially the earlier ones.

Navy Arms began making their own stocks from a copied pattern, and offered stocks in Birch, Cherry and Walnut. The stocks that came directly from Miruko were some kind of East Asian maple dyed to resemble walnut.

The miruko Bess’s are great guns, even better if you can successfully restock one in black walnut.

 

[spudnut]

Years ago 25 or thirty I did my only stint with a reenacting group that laughed and poo pooed my japenese bess and was told to get a pedersoli, now theyre much sought after

 

[trent/OH]

In my Miroku Bess I like 90 grains of FFg, or 100 grains of Fg of Goex behind a .715 or .735 round ball. I also find that my trigger finger is too short to reach the trigger properly so I pull the trigger with my middle finger. It works fine. As i got it, the trigger pull was really hard, so I had it reduced. It's not a target grade trigger by any means, but substantially better.
You won't need a spotting scope to see the holes in your target.