Should I buy this Brown Bess?

[Tango89]

The asking price is $1800 AUD

It would save me the hassle of trying to import one of the IMA guns, but I don't know if it's worth it.

I'm looking for a wall hanger and an entry level collectors piece

Thanks for your help, this is a whole new world for me haha

Information

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[gew8805]

It seems to have a 39 inch barrel, does it not? If so, it has a Short Land Pattern lock and an India Pattern barrel and furniture, the Short Land musket had a 42 inch barrel. It seems like a high price for a mismatched lock and barrel but I am not sure what the market is like in Australia. I personally would not consider it a "collector's piece", entry level or otherwise but could be a good wallhanger....

Others may have another opinion, listen to all sides and decide what is right for you.

[Badger]

In my opinion, it certainly is not a collector's piece and it's way over priced for just a poorly done wall hanger ...

Here is a 53 pic photo montage of my own 1808 Brown Bess Tower Musket - India Pattern (click here).

It's all correct and all original parts (no repros). I've owned it for almost 40 years …

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Regards,
Doug

[Tango89]

i think i'm going to get an indian repro for a wall hanger and save my money for an original...

damn this collecting game

[Badger]

i think i'm going to get an indian repro for a wall hanger and save my money for an original...

damn this collecting game

I think that's a good call partner ...

Regards,
Doug

[Tango89]

by the way for future reference what sort of price would I be looking at for a bess so I don't get horribly ripped off?

for say a bess in these conditions:

- all original, poor condition (seen these, they look brown all over and appear as if they were left in the basement too long)
- all original, decent condition (im assuming this means shows the signs of being 200 + years old but the metal and wood retains some color)
- all original but repaired/restored
- mix matched and restored

i know its hard to give a number but a rather large ball park figure would do, there's an antique arms show in october and a 23 year old with a lot of cash is kinda perfect bait for some of these dealers

[Badger]

by the way for future reference what sort of price would I be looking at for a bess so I don't get horribly ripped off?

That's a great question ...

To be honest, since I've had mine for over 40 years, I think I paid about $1,000 to $1,200 back then, so I have no idea what an original all correct piece is going for nowadays, but I do know that there's a lot of fakes out there with "aged" looking repro parts, so be very careful and ensure you can establish the reputation of the seller and the provenance of the piece.

Regards,
Doug

[Patrick Chadwick]

i think i'm going to get an indian repro for a wall hanger

And in fact I think that is precisely what the 1800 dollar object is! The wood does not look like walnut, and is certainly not 200 years old - just look at Badger's Bess and note the difference in the wood surface. The heads on the lock screws stand out sharp and new...strange, when you look at the barrel. There's probably a lot more that I could remark if I had it in my hands, but it is sufficent to say that the biggest give-away is, as so often, the inconsistency of wear on the surfaces of various parts. To judge that, you do not need any specific knowledge of the model, just a slow, piece-by-piece look.

[jamie5070]

You can also look at middlesex trading company for wall hangers. Thay carry alot of different types of black powder firearms. I think they maybe made in india. They aren't the
highest quality, but can be made to fire. I have one of the dog lock pistols.
john

[Gun Surfer]

Teggy, also, while I am nowhere near an expert, but it looks to me like that stock was refinished which if so, detracts from value in the collecting world.

Update - Did not see Patrick's post, looks like he caught it, maybe a new stock, not even a refinish.