Musket I.D.

sweepklean · September 17, 2011, 05:21 PM

Hello,

My husband and I just purchased two muskets that have been buried for many years. I need to know if anyone out there has any idea if they have any value.
I have been researching them, and believe one of them is a Grice, Brown Bess. The other I believe is a Baker. This is according to pics that I have been looking at.
Any help would be appreciated.

Sarge · September 17, 2011, 05:45 PM

Ma'am if you could get a few better pics of the locks from both sides and the top, there is probably somebody here who can help you identify those muskets. Please try to get about a foot of stock, either side of the locks, when you take the photos.

Gehrhard · September 17, 2011, 06:45 PM

I suspect they are (possibly Pedersoli) reproductions of the guns u reference.

Hawg · September 17, 2011, 07:32 PM

Quote:

I suspect they are (possibly Pedersoli) reproductions of the guns u reference.

Why do you say that? I see no indication of it at this point.

noelf2 · September 18, 2011, 08:29 AM

Quote:

My husband and I just purchased two muskets that have been buried for many years.

Buried in what? How many is "many" years? I'm kinda going with Gehrhard on this unless they were buried in a crate in the desert. Not likely. There's no way to know for sure without a clearer story and better closeups.

**Mike Irwin** · September 18, 2011, 08:44 AM

It looks like at leas one of the stocks has been sanded heavily.

sweepklean · September 18, 2011, 10:28 AM

I purchased them from a gentleman that used a metal detector in a dried up pond. It has been really hot here in Texas, and almost all the ponds are at least partially dried up.
As far as how long they were down there, I do not know. However, along with the rifles, he found a confederate, civil war, snake head, belt buckle.
I don't know if it makes any difference, but when I bought them, I took them home and cleaned them with some oil and soft steel wool.
I am attaching more pics. These are all from the Grice. If they are not clear enough I will try to take some clearer ones.
Oh yes, if they were reproductions, would there be some way to identify them as such?
Thanks for the help.

sweepklean · September 18, 2011, 10:35 AM

Here are a few more pics of the Baker.

arcticap · September 18, 2011, 10:51 AM

The wood looks amazingly well preserved.
There's always more details to be shown but the American Long Rifles forum has a lot of gun builders there that are very knowledgeable about the details of vintage guns.
It has an antique gun collecting section where the experts will comment about what they see.
I suggest to post there too and give them an opportunity to see the rifles.

However the photo attachments that are hosted here won't work there. Try hosting the photos on http://imageshack.us/ and then post the direct image codes to show the full size photos.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php

sweepklean · September 18, 2011, 04:51 PM

Gentlemen,

We had an antique show in town today, and a friend of my husband's sells antique guns, and was at the show. Anyway, he inspected the weapons for us, and said that they are indeed genuine. He found two very hidden, identifying marks.
Now, assuming he is correct, and taking into account their condtion, does anyone out there have any idea of their value?
Thanks.

Gehrhard · September 18, 2011, 06:39 PM

If original then many thousands of dollars. Maybe each.
Very nice, incredibly historic, pieces found and we'd love to see more full-scale pics to establish true condition.
Could they REALLY have been there since the Texas War/Mexican War? Mexico was still using these then-obsolete arms at the time! But somehow I doubt they'd ever possibly be in one piece if that is where they're from. This is odd provenance...

Hawg · September 18, 2011, 06:44 PM

Mud is a good preservative as long as nothing is exposed. They're not worth THAT much tho. Maybe a few hundred in the shape they're in.

Gehrhard · September 18, 2011, 06:50 PM

A few hundred? I'll take 'em.

Sarge · September 18, 2011, 08:05 PM

My advice is to get them professionally appraised, sweepclean. Supica's or Cherry's would be my first stops.

noelf2 · September 18, 2011, 08:15 PM

Quote:

We had an antique show in town today, and a friend of my husband's sells antique guns, and was at the show. Anyway, he inspected the weapons for us, and said that they are indeed genuine. He found two very hidden, identifying marks.
Now, assuming he is correct, and taking into account their condtion, does anyone out there have any idea of their value?
Thanks.

Soooo, why didn't he tell you what they're worth??

sweepklean · September 18, 2011, 10:01 PM

He did not tell me what they are worth, but what he wanted to pay me for them. He offered me $1000 for both. I believe they are worth more.

**4V50 Gary** · September 18, 2011, 11:05 PM

Brown Bess reproductions can go for about $600-$800, depending on the condition. The flash guard is something used by re-enactors and were not found on original guns.

Is the Baker reproduction rifled? Some are and some aren't (even though the Baker was a rifle and not a smoothbore). Can you confirm that it is a flintlock. I think it is but want to confirm that I see a frizzen on it.

What you have should command more than $1,000.

arcticap · September 19, 2011, 02:13 AM

David Condon of Middleburg, Virginia is an appraiser and a member of many associations including the Texas Gun Collector's Association.
Perhaps he can refer you to someone in the Texas Gun Collector's Association that is closer to your home who will provide you with an honest appraisal.
And maybe there are local collectors, organizations or museums that would be interested in purchasing them more than anyone else as a matter of preserving state and local history.

See David Condon's credentials about 3/4's of the way down his home page:

http://www.davidcondon.com/

And here's the contact page of the Texas Gun Collector's Association. There's a list of the email addresses of its officers at the bottom of page to contact any one of them directly with questions about a referral.

http://www.tgca.net/contact_us.htm

noelf2 · September 19, 2011, 09:09 AM

Quote:

We had an antique show in town today, and a friend of my husband's sells antique guns, and was at the show. Anyway, he inspected the weapons for us, and said that they are indeed genuine. He found two very hidden, identifying marks. Now, assuming he is correct, and taking into account their condtion, does anyone out there have any idea of their value?

Quote:

He did not tell me what they are worth, but what he wanted to pay me for them. He offered me $1000 for both. I believe they are worth more.

A "friend" would tell you what they are worth. Anyway, it's good advice to get them appraised professionally if they are indeed genuine. Not from folks in this forum who haven't had the opportunity to inspect them closely.

September 17, 2011, 05:45 PM	#2
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	Ma'am if you could get a few better pics of the locks from both sides and the top, there is probably somebody here who can help you identify those muskets. Please try to get about a foot of stock, either side of the locks, when you take the photos. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

September 18, 2011, 08:44 AM	#6
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	It looks like at leas one of the stocks has been sanded heavily. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

September 18, 2011, 04:51 PM	#10
sweepklean Junior Member Join Date: September 17, 2011 Posts: 5	Muslet I.D. Gentlemen, We had an antique show in town today, and a friend of my husband's sells antique guns, and was at the show. Anyway, he inspected the weapons for us, and said that they are indeed genuine. He found two very hidden, identifying marks. Now, assuming he is correct, and taking into account their condtion, does anyone out there have any idea of their value? Thanks.

September 18, 2011, 06:39 PM	#11
Gehrhard Junior member Join Date: July 15, 2009 Location: East of the Missississippippi Posts: 675	If original then many thousands of dollars. Maybe each. Very nice, incredibly historic, pieces found and we'd love to see more full-scale pics to establish true condition. Could they REALLY have been there since the Texas War/Mexican War? Mexico was still using these then-obsolete arms at the time! But somehow I doubt they'd ever possibly be in one piece if that is where they're from. This is odd provenance... Last edited by Gehrhard; September 18, 2011 at 06:49 PM.

September 18, 2011, 08:05 PM	#14
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	My advice is to get them professionally appraised, sweepclean. Supica's or Cherry's would be my first stops. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

September 17, 2011, 06:45 PM	#3
Gehrhard Junior member Join Date: July 15, 2009 Location: East of the Missississippippi Posts: 675	I suspect they are (possibly Pedersoli) reproductions of the guns u reference.

September 18, 2011, 10:51 AM	#9
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	The wood looks amazingly well preserved. There's always more details to be shown but the American Long Rifles forum has a lot of gun builders there that are very knowledgeable about the details of vintage guns. It has an antique gun collecting section where the experts will comment about what they see. I suggest to post there too and give them an opportunity to see the rifles. However the photo attachments that are hosted here won't work there. Try hosting the photos on http://imageshack.us/ and then post the direct image codes to show the full size photos. http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php

September 18, 2011, 06:44 PM	#12
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,189	Mud is a good preservative as long as nothing is exposed. They're not worth THAT much tho. Maybe a few hundred in the shape they're in.

September 18, 2011, 06:50 PM	#13
Gehrhard Junior member Join Date: July 15, 2009 Location: East of the Missississippippi Posts: 675	A few hundred? I'll take 'em.

September 18, 2011, 10:01 PM	#16
sweepklean Junior Member Join Date: September 17, 2011 Posts: 5	musket I.D. He did not tell me what they are worth, but what he wanted to pay me for them. He offered me $1000 for both. I believe they are worth more.

September 18, 2011, 11:05 PM	#17
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,840	Brown Bess reproductions can go for about $600-$800, depending on the condition. The flash guard is something used by re-enactors and were not found on original guns. Is the Baker reproduction rifled? Some are and some aren't (even though the Baker was a rifle and not a smoothbore). Can you confirm that it is a flintlock. I think it is but want to confirm that I see a frizzen on it. What you have should command more than $1,000. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

September 19, 2011, 02:13 AM	#18
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	David Condon of Middleburg, Virginia is an appraiser and a member of many associations including the Texas Gun Collector's Association. Perhaps he can refer you to someone in the Texas Gun Collector's Association that is closer to your home who will provide you with an honest appraisal. And maybe there are local collectors, organizations or museums that would be interested in purchasing them more than anyone else as a matter of preserving state and local history. See David Condon's credentials about 3/4's of the way down his home page: http://www.davidcondon.com/ And here's the contact page of the Texas Gun Collector's Association. There's a list of the email addresses of its officers at the bottom of page to contact any one of them directly with questions about a referral. http://www.tgca.net/contact_us.htm Last edited by arcticap; September 19, 2011 at 02:57 AM.