New flintlock (Brown Bess)!

[Armando]

It's not new but "new" to me.

Was just able to get my first smoothbore Brown Bess. My other flintlocks are Pennsylvania/Kentucky style rifles. I'm pretty excited about it as I've wanted it for more reenactment events but hope to use it for hunting as well.

It was a veteran reenactor gentleman's build and he was downsizing his collection and I don’t have a lot of information on it.

My questions are:
- I have a sturdy ToW Range Rod are use both for cleaning and when at our club range, but not sure what size Jag do use for wiping down the barrel.
- it shoots 75 ball but what do most folks use for patches? I'm used to just having Ox-Yoke Magic patches in my shooting bag (I use the .015 50 cal patches for both my 50cal and 45cal rifles).
- if using it for buckshot or buck and ball, how do you load it?

 

[Britsmoothy]

It's not new but "new" to me.

Was just able to get my first smoothbore Brown Bess. My other flintlocks are Pennsylvania/Kentucky style rifles. I'm pretty excited about it as I've wanted it for more reenactment events but hope to use it for hunting as well.

It was a veteran reenactor gentleman's build and he was downsizing his collection and I don’t have a lot of information on it.

My questions are:
- I have a sturdy ToW Range Rod are use both for cleaning and when at our club range, but not sure what size Jag do use for wiping down the barrel.
- it shoots 75 ball but what do most folks use for patches? I'm used to just having Ox-Yoke Magic patches in my shooting bag (I use the .015 50 cal patches for both my 50cal and 45cal rifles).
- if using it for buckshot or buck and ball, how do you load it?

View attachment 57610

Why patch a ball. Just use a wad top and bottom....and I dont mean a commercial wad for shotshells!

 

[rafterob]

You can use cards or wads with a ball but patching is just slightly easier. Buy some bulk pillowticking fabric and cut strips for the various calibers you have.

 

[Grenadier1758]

A wad of tow either from flax or hemp or jute twine will be quite suitable for use in your Bess (its a smoothbore, not a rifle). Twine shredded into a loose nest about the size of a golf ball wrapped around the ball will be easy to load and hold the ball on the powder. An over shot card can be placed over the ball if you wish. If you feel the golf ball sized nest is too loose, then add more shredded fibers.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

It was a veteran reenactor gentleman's build and he was downsizing his collection and I don’t have a lot of information on it.

My questions are:
- I have a sturdy ToW Range Rod are use both for cleaning and when at our club range, but not sure what size Jag do use for wiping down the barrel.
- it shoots 75 ball but what do most folks use for patches? I'm used to just having Ox-Yoke Magic patches in my shooting bag (I use the .015 50 cal patches for both my 50cal and 45cal rifles).
- if using it for buckshot or buck and ball, how do you load it?

- You have a Japanese made Brown Bess...maker was Miroku of Japan. They are normally very good guns.

- You will want to be sure the musket isn't loaded. Normally only the threads of the ramrod are left sticking out of the muzzle when the bore is empty and you put a ramrod down the barrel.

- You will want a 12 gauge shotgun brush, and some 4-0 steel wool. Use the brush to hold onto the steel wool which is wrapped around the outside of the brush to scrub the bore.
- You will want to take a look at the bore to check for pits before you shoot live ammo. Last time I went to The Dollar Store, the store was selling tiny flashlights about half the size of a Bess bore, that would go onto a key ring. Get one, turn it on, and drop it down the barrel with the light shinning toward the muzzle. It should show any pits when you look down the barrel.
- You should remove the barrel and check the underside for rust. Jap Bess stocks normally have an open slot where the barrel tennons go, and these open into the ramrod channel. Moisture can get through these openings to the underside of the barrel.

Buck-and-ball is an anti-personnel round and is known not to shoot well for hunting..., unless you get charged by a "line" of bears, standing upright.
Buckshot is normally not used but if you can find it, you want 00 buck.

LD

 

[Peter Stines]

I use pillow ticking , linen, 100% cotton denim, thin pigskin, worn out wool blankets or whatever is handy. I've shot .690 .715, .735 ball with the right thickness of patching and all work. I don't see why tow wouldn't work so try that as well. I haven't yet. I made some paper wads based on an 18th century source. (grocery sack strips waxed and cut 2" long and 1" wide and folded up) 2-3 work good over powder 1 over shot. Card wads can be punched from poster board, cardboard boxes and sheet cork. Try them all and what it does. I've used shot both buck and bird and it works too. Its a case of EXPERIMENT AND KEEP NOTES OR EVEN FILM WHAT YOU DO/USE. And FWIW I've used plastic shot cups (so-so results) and paper cartridges (Good results)

 

[Pa-brushbuster71]

Congratulations on the Bess. Keep us posted on how it shoots

 

[Armando]

Some more pics.

Top view

 

[atpippin]

Jefferson Arsenal sells a paper cartridge making kit for the Brown Bess. I use them for my Pedersoli Brown Bess with a .690 round ball.

 

[Armando]

atippin
would that work on my 75cal Brown Bess?

 

[Juice Jaws]

I use pre cut spit patches from Tow .10 for 70 cal. . I use the pre cut patch because I am lazy and its the fastest and easy way to go. Plus I worry about fires using tow or paper out here in Calif.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Would the Jefferson Arsenal Brown Bess cartridge kit for 0.690" balls work in @Armando's 75 caliber Brown Bess?

From a technical standpoint, yes. The balls would easily load and the powder would send the ball down range. The loading would be similar to the issued British load during the F&I war which used a 69 caliber ball. Would I rely on that cartridge for any sort of accuracy? No.


I have made my own cartridge loading kit starting with a 3/4" diameter dowel rod. I would insert a coarse threaded screw in one end of the rod so I could chuck a 6" long segment of dowel in my hand held drill to turn it against a rasp, file or sandpaper to a diameter of 0.730" so I could wrap three turns of computer paper around the rod segment and that would slip into the the 0.750" diameter bore. I would also use a 1/2" drill bit to make a shallow dimple on the other end of of the segment. Time to remove the screw and cut the length down or not. Using computer paper to cut some cartridge wraps. Fold the paper in half, then on the 8 1/2 fold, put a mark at 31/4" on one edge and at 5 1/4". Cut at the fold and between the marks to end up with 4 trapezoidal shaped pieces of paper. Lay the dowel on the 5 1/2" side and roll the paper toward the point at the 5 1/4" end of the paper. I do put glue on the diagonal edge to hold it paper roll together, but that's not really necessary. Pull the paper along the dowel to have about 1 1/2" of roll to put the ball in the end exposed. Hopefully the dimple is there to put the sprue and fold the paper or tie the paper wrap closed. Push the ball and paper out a bit further to twist and tie the ball in place. At this point you can dip the wrapped ball in some melted lubricant. When the rolls are lubricated, you can pour your powder charge in the rolled cartridge. Twist and tie or fold to complete the cartridge. If you have a scrap piece of 1 x 4 board you can drill a 3/4" hole in the center and have a cartridge stand to support the roll while loading.

So, for about $3.50 and some time you can make your own version of a Brown Bess Cartridge kit that will by optimized for a ball that fits your barrel.

 

[oreclan]

I owned a Miroku Brown Bess during the Bi-Centennial. I built it from a kit I bought at Log Cabin Sport Shop for $150. I sold it so I could by a custom Long land pattern by Jim Everett. Wished I still had that Japanese Bess too. It shot well and sparked well. I saw it at a gun show for sale once, but was interested in an original Jaeger.
Yes I can recognize it, as the jerk that returned it to LCSS had tried to remove the entry pipe swell with a rasp.
If anyone in the Pittsburgh area has it I would buy it again.

 

[griffiga]

It's not new but "new" to me.

Was just able to get my first smoothbore Brown Bess. My other flintlocks are Pennsylvania/Kentucky style rifles. I'm pretty excited about it as I've wanted it for more reenactment events but hope to use it for hunting as well.

It was a veteran reenactor gentleman's build and he was downsizing his collection and I don’t have a lot of information on it.

My questions are:
- I have a sturdy ToW Range Rod are use both for cleaning and when at our club range, but not sure what size Jag do use for wiping down the barrel.
- it shoots 75 ball but what do most folks use for patches? I'm used to just having Ox-Yoke Magic patches in my shooting bag (I use the .015 50 cal patches for both my 50cal and 45cal rifles).
- if using it for buckshot or buck and ball, how do you load it?

View attachment 57610

I got one just about like it. Fun guns and make for good shotguns