India Pattern Brown Bess by H.Nock………………..SOLD

The India Pattern or Third model Short Land Pattern Musket by Henry Nock.

This is the Volunteer type Flintlock musket supplied to the Militia by the famous maker Henry Nock.  Henry Nock (1741-1804) was a London maker who would have been well placed to supply the needs of local volunteer regiments or militia.  His business carried on until the mid 1800’s under other successors.  It is particularly pleasing to find such a musket to me as my main interests surround the military weapons of the past and Nock is also one of the great makers supplying the civilian gun trade of the time.  The musket is in the standard form laid down by the government of the time and was produced when Neapoleon was at the peak of his influence across Europe and Great Britain looked like it might be his next objective.

The musket is  54″ in overall length.  The barrel is 39″ in length and of .75″ caliber.  The average weight of these weapons was about 4.5kg  which translates to approximately 9.9lb.  It was reckoned that a well trained infantryman of the day could get up to four shots off in a minuet !  This India pattern musket still has its front sling swivel through the fore-end and another steel swivel mounted on the front of the brass trigger guard.  All the fittings are brass, the trigger being of a nicely curled steel form.  It has the correct steel ram-rod and three brass”pipes” to hold and guide it into its channel.

All Brown-Bess muskets of this era were of conventional flintlock ignition and this one is no exception with its heavy type cocking piece and sturdy frizzen.  The strength of the internal main spring is reassuringly strong and as you pull it back and the lock clicks into place you can almost guarantee you are going to get a spark. The relatively plain lock face has a strong outward curve to the shape of it and a simple but fine double border engraving around it and the cocking poiece.  The name “H.NOCK” is engraved into the face but that is all, as the rear section behind the cock is plain.  The frizzen spring is still good and allows the frizzen to stay in place without the aid of any roller.  Looking from underneath the musket it is just possible to see the marks of the lock-maker chiseled into the under-side of the lock plate.

The stock is of the early type with the high comb and round grip.  Altogether the stock is in fine condition with a few minor armoury repairs which are just about visible on really close inspection.  It is clean and has a pleasing patina to it.  There are no serious repairs to the musket, no bad gouges and it has not been broken through the wrist at any time.  The barrel has very slight pitting along the edge where steel and stock meet but this is to be expected.  Internally the bore has some pitting, but once again – that black powder was evil stuff!  The brass butt-plate has the inscription “ROYAL HAMPSTEAD ASSOCIATION” on the upper tang.  All wood to metal fit is good and there is an apron around the barrel tang which has suffered a chip at sometime in its past.

The barrel shows some nice clear inspection marks and the barrel makers mark.  Clearly stamped into the top R/H  radius of the breech are “Crown/GP,  */RV and a Crown/V”.  Also on the top radius of the breech end is  “Crown/4″ and the inscription ” 18th LONDON” – this would be the local defense body that the musket was ordered by and to whom it belonged.  This ties in quite nicely with the maker’s locality.

This is a really fine sturdy musket which smacks of the English Gun Trade at its finest.  It is going to be a real pleasure to own and will do any good gun collection proud once displayed, owned and cherished. There aren’t many around with this all round good level of condition it will be a shame to see this one go.  First come first severed Gentlemen – and Lady.  Its not possible to just pop out and replace this sort of article.

£ 3750.  reduced to £ 3350………SOLD

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