Type of musket?

A flintlock ships or cavalry musketoon (carbine). I'm thinking a .69 cal 1777 French Cavalry Carbine - when the first carbine is taken out of the crate, you can see the underside and obverse - the brass fittings seem to match, as and lefthand side (obverse of the lockplate) seems to show a bar and ring that also matches the 1777 carbine.

I'm not sure why the filmmakers went with that particular musket, but its fairly available as a repro.

Gee, I've wanted to use the word musketoon in a post all week Mission accomplished, and one of my favorite sounding words. Musketoon.

The episode is online - scene at around 18:58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCnayRFj-2M

I don't believe that it depicts a genuine historical fact. Its more a film companies prop that is photogenic with the young boy actor.

What's the timeline of the series again? Episode 1 starts in the 1820s, is ep 2 a few years after that? 1840s?

Yes, these are cavalry carbines (musketoons). The directors probably had to figure out what could be used that was pre-civil war / Mex War era. Picking the 1777 musketoon is a pretty good stand-in, in lieu of something more accurate or period correct. At least they didn't break open a crate of Spencer carbines ...

wojownik said:

A flintlock ships or cavalry musketoon (carbine). I'm thinking a .69 cal 1777 French Cavalry Carbine - when the first carbine is taken out of the crate, you can see the underside and obverse - the brass fittings seem to match, as and lefthand side (obverse of the lockplate) seems to show a bar and ring that also matches the 1777 carbine.

I'm not sure why the filmmakers went with that particular musket, but its fairly available as a repro.

Gee, I've wanted to use the word musketoon in a post all week Mission accomplished, and one of my favorite sounding words. Musketoon.

The episode is online - scene at around 18:58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCnayRFj-2M

Click to expand...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonaesthetics

Cellar Door

Shedding a little light on the subject:
Saddle ring:

Ship's carbine then?

No those are British 1796 Heavy Dragoon Carbines distributed by Loyalist Arms LLC, Canada. Made from parts imported from India. They should've been "used" a bit more than as seen in the movie, as they would've been about two decade old when the move was set.

LD

Loyalist Dave said:

... They should've been "used" a bit more than as seen in the movie, as they would've been about two decade old when the move was set.

Click to expand...

Apparently cosmoline soaking predates Combloc milsurps.

??

No, but they shouldn't be chrome bright steel, and shiny brass bits.

They probably rented them from the company so had to keep them in "as new" condition.

LD

The privates certainly did... But you get a dull gray not a chrome... And the guns in the movie have been schlepped across the country or worse, shipped part way by sea... so they should be a bit rusty....and if the traders tried to make them look better just before delivery.... They would've simply rubbed off the rust with leather and some oil so the muskets would've been a bit brown. In the movie they look like they just got dropped off by UPS: Same Day Air.

Depending on the media used...... you have to remember they used finely powdered "brick dust", and the bricks of the flintlock era were not nearly as hard as they are today, and...

... you had to keep the privates busy doing something...otherwise they get bored and get into trouble...they are always looking for booze, women, or a good meal, and the occasional valuable... so....guard your chickens, your pigs, and your cows, lock up your daughters and your wives, bar your cider cellars, and bury your coins and your silver!

OH and if you get a "Yellow Scrubbie" pad, from the hardware store where they sell stuff to clean ceramic stove tops... it's less agressive than the green scrubbie from the supermarket.... that will give you the same finish when used with a drop or two of olive oil on the steel, with much less mess than real brick dust. (Maybe you can find those yellow scrubbies in the supermarket as ceramic stovetops have caught on???)



LD