to glass bed or not to glass bed?

[SHARPS4953]

Need advice,
I have acquired an original musket (braz light mini) with some stress cracks under the barrel near the breech area. Its not in mint shape but the stock has a lot of the original stamps. It looks like it may have had some type of gloss finish put on a long tome ago. It will never be a million dollar gun. My question is should I lightly bed the breech area? I would like to get in in shooting condition, the barrel is very pitted and could use a reline also. Im torn between keeping it as a wall hanger or preserving it.

Scott
1st Maine

[jonk]

I would stabilize the area with wooden pegs and glue first, and see how it shoots- if it is relined so be it.

If that doesn't stabilize it, then I would glass bed it. If you feel the need to shoot it. If just a wallhanger, leave it as it is.

I wouldn't worry about the historical value overly. It's not like it's a minty gun, or a super valuable rare gun.

[John Bly]

If you plan to shoot it then you should glass bed it. Brownells original Acraglas would be about the best to use to repair and stabilize the wood. If you are not going to shoot it then leave it alone.

[John Holland]

You mentioned the possibility of leaving the musket alone. I would encourage you to do just that. What you have is a true relic of the American Civil War. It isn't too common either with only about 5,000 of them having been imported, and with survival rate over the ensuing 150+ years how many are left today? You have said there are "...a lot of original stamps..." on the stock. Would some of those stamps be "OHIO"? You will also see a serial number stamped on the bayonet lug. Somewhere there is, or was, a matching serially numbered bayonet to match it! Preserve it for what it is, and begin the "hunt" for the matching bayonet....or at least an example of the proper bayonet to add to it. Just my thoughts from a collector's point of view.