(note: I also posted this over at The Firearms Forum but thought this may be a more appropriate place to request help)
Hi there folks. Hope I'm posting this in the correct place. I want to apologize in advance for my total lack of knowledge about firearms of all sorts, and for my bad photography.
My family has an old musket that has been passed on in the family since before anybody (living) can remember. Oh, my family is all from Newfoundland, Canada if that may help. So - British colony...eventually joined Canada in 1949.
My father sort of polished/varnished this thing up back in the 1970s and put it on display on the wall. That was long before shows like Antiques Road Show came along and told everybody not to try to restore your old stuff yourself. Oh, plus the ramrod was missing so he just substituted a piece of wood/dowel with a .22 shell at the end of it.
The stock of the gun was engraved by my ancestor...I didn't manage to get a clear picture of it but it reads:
JOHN KNEE
SAFE ARBER (That is Safe Harbour)
JANUARY 12
1870
Safe Harbour was a tiny little community on the north coast of Newfoundland that was abandoned years ago.
Even though the date engraved on it by John Knee is 1870 I don't know if that relates to when the gun was made.
Anyway, there is a word on the metal above the trigger and I believe it is "Tower" but it is difficult to tell for certain.
So here are some pictures. Anything you can tell me about it would be much appreciated. If you need different/additional/better pictures to help I'll try my best to provide them.
We are not interested in selling, restoring or trying to fire the musket, just curious about it.
Thank you.
Hi there folks. Hope I'm posting this in the correct place. I want to apologize in advance for my total lack of knowledge about firearms of all sorts, and for my bad photography.
My family has an old musket that has been passed on in the family since before anybody (living) can remember. Oh, my family is all from Newfoundland, Canada if that may help. So - British colony...eventually joined Canada in 1949.
My father sort of polished/varnished this thing up back in the 1970s and put it on display on the wall. That was long before shows like Antiques Road Show came along and told everybody not to try to restore your old stuff yourself. Oh, plus the ramrod was missing so he just substituted a piece of wood/dowel with a .22 shell at the end of it.
The stock of the gun was engraved by my ancestor...I didn't manage to get a clear picture of it but it reads:
JOHN KNEE
SAFE ARBER (That is Safe Harbour)
JANUARY 12
1870
Safe Harbour was a tiny little community on the north coast of Newfoundland that was abandoned years ago.
Even though the date engraved on it by John Knee is 1870 I don't know if that relates to when the gun was made.
Anyway, there is a word on the metal above the trigger and I believe it is "Tower" but it is difficult to tell for certain.
So here are some pictures. Anything you can tell me about it would be much appreciated. If you need different/additional/better pictures to help I'll try my best to provide them.
We are not interested in selling, restoring or trying to fire the musket, just curious about it.
Thank you.