What do you think of this old musket? Find of the year?

[3ky]

I picked this up awhile back. I have a passion for cheap old muskets. Came with original bayonet. Saw a photo copy of a picture of it with price at an antique store. Price was cheap so I called and bought it. It's an odd duck to turn up in Kentucky. Here are some pictures. It's the oldest firearm I own.

















Who can guess what it is?

Information

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[gsimmons]

It's a British model 1839 musket. With bayonet with Lovell's catch. Nice honest musket.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Nice honest musket.

Well that's British understatement for you! I would rate that find of the year, if I could find anything like that amongst the masses of wrecks, Indian replicas, and Khyber Pass specials.

[3ky]

Your close. The Lovell's catch and bayonet makes it very rare. It's 61 caliber carbine built in 1844. It is British but not a 1839 musket. Think more police and you'll have what it is.

I will update pictures for I did some work to it. I glued the crack in the stock and found lockplate screws. I'm still looking for a main spring. Sadly this is hand built so mainspring has been hard to find. Old one rusted into as well as the original lock plate screws. Hasn't been shot much for the nipple and nipple area plus bore are in great shape.

Yea alot of wrecks out there. This one is British and probably came to America right before or early Civil War.

[gsimmons]

Wow! Even better! Have you checked with Bill Osbourne at Lodgewood Mfg.? He has a lot of parts. You'll probably have to alter something similar.

[3ky]

Yea I met Bill at a Civil War show in Nashville. Found lock plate screws in his parts. No mainspring but he will keep looking.

---------- Post added at 11:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 AM ----------

What this is is a 1842 Irish Constable Carbine with original bayonet. This one is unaltered which makes it rare. Plus it has rare bayonet.

[gsimmons]

You made me go look it up in Baileys book(which I should have in the first place). Is it not the P39 constabulary carbine? As it has the hanoverian catch not Lovell's like I thought. I like it!

[3ky]

It's early so has the eariler catch. Missed being changed over to the later catch and bayonet mods. That's what makes it rare. Its M42. It was made with left over M39 parts aka the bayonet catch and bayonet.

[gsimmons]

Thanks for the explanation. What a great find. I look forward to more pictures.

[3ky]

Here is more info:

The Lovell's Pattern Carbines in The Constabulary Rifle and other firearms Forum