Brown Bess Information Sites

[Robt. Propst]

Gentlemen, Have been hitting the bazaars in Kabul, and one of the young officers I work with wants to purchase a Brown Bess type of musket for a family member. Kind of out of my league. Would anyone have any good sites concerning Brown Bess muskets that I might share with him?

Thank you,

Bob Propst
6721V 44th GA
Camp Blackhorse
Kabul, Afghanistan

Off topic, but for our friends, son Spencer Propst of the 44th GA is participating in the new offensive in Kunar Province Afghanistan with the 2-237 Infantry, 1 BCT, 101 ABN DIV.

[Southron Sr.]

Dear Bob:

Just Google up "British Militaria Forums" and when you get there, go to their page on "British Flint & Percussion Arms."

THANK YOU AND YOUR SON for Y'all's services to our country!

Sincerely Yours,
Southron

[Greg Ogdan, 11444]

Bob,

You say yuou are are at Camp Blackhorse, would that be as in the 11th ACR perhaps? If so, you are with the finest Cav regiment in the Army. I was not assigned to, but served on, an 11th base camp many years ago in that little country in SE Asia. One kick-ass unit!

[Edwin Flint, 8427]

Bob,

Did a little checking. The best out there is made by Perdersoli. Available through the same places we get the CW era guns. Dixie Gun Works, Navy Arms, Lodgewood, S & S, etc.

There are some cheaper Indian made guns that are now on the market. They have had a few problems with barrel failures. If it is for show only, they should be okay but I don't think they would be safe for live fire unless he had the barrel independently proofed by someone other than the seller.

Best wishes and our prayers are with you and your son.

[Robt. Propst]

Brannon, thank you for the link.

Greg, the camp is named after 11th ACR, and of course the logo is the Black Horse patch. I assume that the original occupiers were 11 ACR, but right now it is a sub-post (Americans and NATO allies only) of an Afghan National Army base, which hosts the Consolidated Fielding Center, or CFC, where I work. The center trains and equips a ANA Kandak, or battalion, on unit tasks to prepare it to go downrange. When they leave here they deploy to their operational sector.

Ed, not buying a Brown Bess with an interest to shoot, or even for me. One of the guys here wants to buy one to wall-hang at his brothers house, and just wanted a better idea what he was looking at. Nothing here I have seen of any interest to me.

Regards to all,

Bob
6721V 44th GA Deep South

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Hey Bob, thanks a lot for the excellent intel. It's hard to get good intel on the American OB in Afghanistan through official channels. Brigadier Levey still in command of CTAG? Watch out for them stray mortar rounds and keep us updated

[Edwin Flint, 8427]

Bob,

Here is a web site that sells the cheaper Indian imports. They mainly focus on American Revolution re-enactors. As such, the Bess is one of their main sales items.

http://www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/

If it is information sites, I'll look around a bit. Just let me know.

[cigar_man]

Bob

Here is a link to

http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/ ... -Arms.html (http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/forums/4/t/British-Flint-and-Percussion-Arms.html)

Sign in and ask away.

There will be more help there on the Brown Bess than you need.

Garth

[Mike w/ 34th]

Bob,

On the British Militaria Forum, we've had a few guys in Afghanistan looking for flint muskets and finding some treasures, but not sitting on the table in the bazaar. The key seems to be to find a vendor you can build a relationship with a vendor and have them find you a gun.

The standard Board of Ordnance 'Bess seems to be in short supply, or the ones you find may be in relic condition. More plentiful are various East India Company models, and some other assorted European guns. The best thing to do is to find a vendor, find a couple guns, take pictures, and ask on the British Militaria Forum about what you have and whether or not it looks correct. The guys there are very knowledgeable, and they are very good at steering guys toward good deals.

Expect a decent flintlock with all original parts to run about $1200-1800, depending on what you find. The days of cheap antique guns seems to have passed from the reports we're getting, and there are a lot more of the local replicas than genuine rifles now.

If you want something that just kinda looks like an Afghan flintlock and will look okay on the wall, I picked up one from a fellow in Germany, and it's pure back alley workmanship. I'll be happy to pass it on for what I paid in shipping to get it here from Europe. (It is in no way shootable, but it is interesting...)

Cheers,

Michael