London Warranted

[RSMorris]

Received the New England Militia musket today.

 

[UCVRelics]

Nice Piece. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[RSMorris]

More...

 

[RSMorris]

Nice Piece. Thanks for sharing it with us.

it has rough areas and ding/dents, but looks like it has some stories to tell.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

These muskets are very interesting part of history, and I am glad no one took the wood putty to fix the stock damage - that is part of it's history.
Did you know that every man of proper age was required to drill with the local militia and to keep a proper musket for that use?

 

[RSMorris]

That's why I don't repair anything. I like the rough history.

 

[RSMorris]

Has anyone here heard of William (Bill)Rutter of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin? I found an obit for the same. Seems he owned this musket in his collection and then his collection was auctioned off after he died. I got it from Shiloh Relics in Tennessee. The auction was on May 22, 2022 so I assumed he got it from the auction.

I did find this on Facebook talking about the auction of his colleciton
"The sale continues with selections from the collection of Bill Rutter, an avid researcher and historian of American military arms (Lots 80-313). Rutter's collection includes some of the most desirable collectible American arms available today, including a rare experimental .30 caliber Springfield Trapdoor Rifle (Lot 207), an Experimental Springfield Model 1882 Experimental "Triangular Rod Bayonet" Rifle (Lot 192), and a Colt Model 1839 Patterson Carbine (Lot 291). Also offered are a rare Winchester 1895 Winchester-Lee Rifle from the USS Maine (Lot 216) and a scarce US Model 1898 Parkhurst-Zelenski Krag Rifle (Lot 224)."

 

[bobinwmass]

The barrel doesn't appear to be one proofed following the Massachusetts law, as marking would be P over inspector initials, then next to that M over date. But is it an old military barrel? I don't see an eagle head, but there is P over US. Moller says many New England Militia muskets were made from surplus government barrels. In that case, since already proofed, they did not have to go through Massachusetts proofing. And of course it may have been made somewhere besides Massachusetts.

 

[RSMorris]

The barrel doesn't appear to be one proofed following the Massachusetts law, as marking would be P over inspector initials, then next to that M over date. But is it an old military barrel? I don't see an eagle head, but there is P over US. Moller says many New England Militia muskets were made from surplus government barrels. In that case, since already proofed, they did not have to go through Massachusetts proofing. And of course it may have been made somewhere besides Massachusetts.

I have no idea what New England state it was put together in. Is there any way of telling? Obviously it wasn't Massachusetts as you said.

 

[RSMorris]

Looks like it has been fired a few times.

 

[bobinwmass]

Looks like it has been fired a few times.

View attachment 443067

Originally it was flintlock, so makes sense there was a lot of powder flash going on there.

 

[ColonelKlink1942]

There's a rugged but simple elegance with antique firearms. This one's a beauty for sure, nice find!

 

[RSMorris]

There's a rugged but simple elegance with antique firearms. This one's a beauty for sure, nice find!

Thank you very very much! I like the rougher ones that have a story to tell. Plus, and a happier note, they are cheaper.