cleaning out collection

Hi

I am downsizing thinking of selling 3 parts kits and need advice on pricing.

Original Dublin Castle Brown Bess. This was assembled from original parts at some time in the past.

The barrel had been cut back to 32 1/4". At some point an extension was welded on the barrel to bring it back to 45 5/8" There is no front sight or bayonet lug. All of the brass bits are there.

It has an original bayonet and I suspect the ramrod is a reproduction.

This, in spite of the major flaws, looked really good up on the wall. This was until it fell and the woodworm damaged stock shattered.

The Bess, in spite my restocking fantasies, cannot be returned to its earlier wall hanger status. It has to go.

As an aside, why would the barrel be cut back? Were these muskets ever sold as surplus? Is there a way to find what the original escutcheon markings were?

Reising parts kit. Does not have the sear. Has a steel dummy receiver with the barrel held in place with a small setscrew, single row magazine. Condition beat, but has all external parts and with the noted exception, most of the internals.

1943 Owen kit. Trigger spring broken, but otherwise complete.

The brown Bess muskets met fates such as yours because they were around after the wars. The owners had in some cases deserted or released and still had them. One in the east coast of Canada had the exact same fate as yours and the bayonet was still present as well. It was suspected that this particular Bess had accompanied the founding member of the family and been retained for potting animals and such. Cutting the wood and barrel just seemed to make it lighter as it did for subsequent military firearms...