This antique flintlock musket has a military appearance but is not a British ordnance pattern. This musket appears to be a constructed as export musket likely by the Ketland Company which offered a export musket with steel rammer. It could also have been made for a "fencibles unit" which were a British home guard that were armed by a patron rather than the government. Stocked in straight grained walnut the musket is trimmed in brass furniture that has both a military and trade gun influence. The flintlock has engraved designs often associated with the Ketland family of gunmakers on the outsides and is stamped W. Ketland & Co on the inside of the plate, which would indicate a lock circa 1802 to 1830. Weight of the musket is 8.3 pounds and it has a trigger reach of 12-3/4" making it a bit small for today's average size shooter.
The .77 caliber, or 10 bore, barrel is 39" from the breech to the muzzle. The overall form is very similar to a Third Model Brown Bess musket barrel with a ring at the breech and bayonet lug on the top behind the muzzle. The barrel was likely supplied armoury bright but has developed a dark patina over time. A few markings can still be found on the barrel, near the breech, The breech has two crown over crossed scepter inspection marks as well as a 44 stamped on the top at the breech. The bore is dark with scattered pitting visible over the length of the barrel.
The straight grained walnut stock has some cracking at the toe. along with other scattered handling and black powder residue marks. The stock has slightly shrunk over time from continual drying of the wood. Some of the metal, most notably the buttplate and breech plug tang, stand slightly above the level of the wood from approximately 200 years of drying. From above the tapered comb of the musket can be seen. At the rear a brass comb extension of the buttplate this stepped comb extension is similar to Ketland style Trade Gun. The bottom view of the musket shows off the rounded toe of the gun with the noted cracks, and the brass triggerguard. Produced in the same style as the Brown Bess triggerguards, this particular guard has a 1742 style front finial at the front and long grip rail at the rear. The triggerguard is drilled for a sling swivel, but no swivel is mounted on the triggerguard and the stock is not drilled for a forward swivel. The guard has been pinned into position as is traditional.
The steel ramrod has the period iron head and steel shaft and is held in place by three brass ramrod pipes, all smaller versions of those found on the later brown Bess muskets with the flared trumpet end. The rod appears original to the gun. A brass muzzlecap has been fit to the musket about 4" behind the muzzle to protect the end grain of the stock and presumably to allow for attachment of a socket bayonet to the musket. The side panel is fitted with very basic washer style sideplate to support the lock bolts, which are also found on Ketland trade guns. The stock does have the typical small crack from the breech to the rear lock bolt from wood shrinkage. No cheek piece is formed in military musket and fowling gun fashion.
The flintlock fitted to this musket is stamped on the inside W. Ketland & Co. The overall style is very similar to the locks used on earlier T. Ketland & Company trade pistols, but slightly larger. The lock plate is flat with a rounded pan and no external bridle on the pan, and no bridle on the tumbler. This is a very basic trade lock design to simplify construction. The lock plate has a very limited decoration with a border and tulip designs, often found on Ketland trade guns. The lock functions and sparks very well. Use a 3/4" by 7/8" English flint in this lock.
If you are in the marked for an antique British firearm still in original flintlock condition, this may be the proper piece. Borrowing heavily from the design of the Brown Bess musket, this export musket may very well have served a member of the East India Company or been imported into North America for trade in the Canadian colony or U.S. Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.