Help ID a Musket Trigger Guard

DoctorWhy

Full Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
240
Location
Island in Penobscot Bay, Maine
Hi All,

Today, a friend discovered this trigger guard during a hunt on the Maine island where we live. We have both been fortunate to find numerous artifacts going back to the mid-1700's at sites around the island. Over the last couple years, he and I have found several trigger guards and other bits of hardware that have been positively identified as being from "Brown Bess Muskets". This one, however has a unique decorative shape. Can anyone out there help with an ID?

Thanks very much,
--Bert
 

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Wow, another great trigger guard.
I dodn't know what it was from but will do some searching.
Hopefully someone will ID this one.
 
Trigger Guard

I just went thru several of my 18th century Weapons references, two specifically regarding the Brown Bess and all known patterns. After looking at all of the patterns I can say this is not a Brown Bess Pattern Trigger Guard, there is no BB that has a screw hole forward of the trigger Guard in that area.

The only weapons I observed that had screw holes forward of the Trigger guard were mostly French Trade Rifles used by settlers and Native Americans. There were one or two English trade rifles with the screw hole in that position, but the shape the the forend "Tulip" is close to the French examples.

Regret I cannot pin it down further, but it is definitely 18th century.
Still an outstanding find.


Bob


Hi All,

Today, a friend discovered this trigger guard during a hunt on the Maine island where we live. We have both been fortunate to find numerous artifacts going back to the mid-1700's at sites around the island. Over the last couple years, he and I have found several trigger guards and other bits of hardware that have been positively identified as being from "Brown Bess Muskets". This one, however has a unique decorative shape. Can anyone out there help with an ID?

Thanks very much,
--Bert
 
Not French

Maybe a Charleville musket? I think they were about the same time frame as a Brown Bess.

Charleville and other French muskets used. Iron or Steel furniture for their muskets. Not brass. This is most likely an English fusil or "Brown Bess" variant. The trigger guard is very similar to the 1st Model Long Land Musket (Brown Bess).
 
Looks like it's from a fur trade rifle. Perhaps s French fusil de chasse?
http://loyalistarms.freeservers.com/tradeguns.html

Interesting possibility. The island off the coast of Maine where I live is not very far (by water) from Castine, ME. Castine has been in both French and British hands in the late 1600's through late-1700's. I have found several period British and French coins on my island. The island also was a Summer destination for Native Americans for thousands of years. There is lots of evidence of their 'visits' and encampments along the shoreline.

--Bert
 
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