Dave Markowitz
Member
I took the day off and drove up to Dixon's in Kempton, PA today, and came home with a new Middlesex Village Trading Company French 1717 Musket.
It came with a leather sling, hammer stall, flash guard, and bayonet (no scabbard).
Compared with the MVTC Long Land Pattern Brown Bess, this gun feels about a pound or two lighter and shoulders better for me. The stock shape is a bit odd but seems to fit me well. It balances nicely for a gun with a 46" barrel. I'm only 5'6" tall and the gun is almost as tall as me.
The lock sparks well. Overall workmanship isn't up to the standards of say, a Pedersoli, but I suspect that the originals weren't either.
Greg Dixon recommended using .662 balls with a patch, so I got the last two bags he had in this size, along with a couple of extra musket flints. MVTC recommends 65 - 75 grains of FFg powder.
Unfortunately I won't get to shoot it for a couple of weeks, but I'll post a report when I do.
It came with a leather sling, hammer stall, flash guard, and bayonet (no scabbard).
Compared with the MVTC Long Land Pattern Brown Bess, this gun feels about a pound or two lighter and shoulders better for me. The stock shape is a bit odd but seems to fit me well. It balances nicely for a gun with a 46" barrel. I'm only 5'6" tall and the gun is almost as tall as me.
The lock sparks well. Overall workmanship isn't up to the standards of say, a Pedersoli, but I suspect that the originals weren't either.
Greg Dixon recommended using .662 balls with a patch, so I got the last two bags he had in this size, along with a couple of extra musket flints. MVTC recommends 65 - 75 grains of FFg powder.
Unfortunately I won't get to shoot it for a couple of weeks, but I'll post a report when I do.
