What's an appropriate Revolutionary/Constitutional period piece ?

R

RH

New member
I would like to get a replica (CAS Iberia, etc.) to hang over the mantle for decorative purposes. I would like it to be indicative of the type that a citizen militiaman might have pulled off the wall to join the fight (a la "The Patriot"). What would be some appropriate pieces ?

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Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
1 Peter 2:16.
 
Or Charlevel (sp) French musket used by Washington's troops.


A flint lock Pennsylvania rifle with powder horn and possibles bag would be ok, too.

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
Either the British Brown Bess (Long or Short Pattern, but not the Napoleonic era India Pattern) or French Charleville/St. Entienne musket would fit the period nicely. Any flintlock long rifle which isn't embellished with carvings or brass inlays would also fit.

The flint lock rifles of the Revolutionary War era rifles were thicker, heavier and did not feature all the inlays or relief carving that the Post-Revolution "Golden Era" rifles had. Many had a wood Jaeger style patch box instead of the brass patchbox, though brass patchboxes were around during the war.

By and large however, the war was fought and won with muskets, and not rifles. Check out the book, Battle Weapons of the American Revolution for some great pictures of the weapons of the time.
 
Hi, RH,

The earliest guns used would have been English Brown Bess muskets from militia stores, as at Lexington and Concord, but those weapons were stored in an armory, not kept at home. Later, as volunteer units were organized, they brought their own muskets or rifles, often Pennsylvania ("Kentucky") rifles. Charleville muskets were used later by the fledgling army, but would not have been hanging on anyone's wall.

For a representative volunteer weapon, I agree that a long rifle or even a German or German type Jaeger rifle could have been used. Jaegers, contrary to much that has been written, were loaded using patches and, while firing a heavier ball than the Pennsylvania rifle, were neither awkward nor especially heavy.

It rather depends on whether you want to represent what might have been already owned and taken to "join the fight" or what might have been issued when the man joined the army.

Jim
 
Speaking of militia muskets, many states' muskets were patterned after the Brown Bess and there could be some slight variation or markings to distinguish them from the British Brown Bess.

The best catalogs I've seen are from The Rifle Shoppe and Track of the Wolf. Love to get long pattern Brown Bess kit but that's over $700.
 
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