18th Century Continental French Style Flintlock Officer's Fusil

American Revolution

.708" caliber. 40.5" round barrel secured by four spring-retained bands. SN: NSN. Bright finish, iron furniture, European hardwood stock. Single shot smoothbore flintlock musket. 5.75" slightly curved flat faceted lock plate with pronounced teat at the rear with a detachable bridled, faceted and fenced iron pan and a flat faceted reinforced cock. The lock is unmarked and remains in original flint. The flat faceted two-screw side plate has a flat bottom, a roughly cloud like profile and a teat at the rear. The triggerguard plate is 12.75" in overall length with a 3.5" extension forward of the guard bow and a 6.375" extension to the rear. The barrel is marked with a large G and with what may be a rudimentary Fleur-de-lis on the top of the breech, with the obverse butt stamped with the same G mark four times in a cross pattern with the same rudimentary Fleur-de-lis mark stamped three times with the middle one upside down. A small {CROWN}/V.S is stamped on the left side of the barrel near the breech and the number 275 is stamped along the toe line of the stock behind the triggerguard. The gun is otherwise unmarked. The round barrel is secured by a screw through the tang and four flat, sheet iron barrel bands with the upper band double strapped and all retention springs positioned to the rear of the bands. A lug for a socket bayonet is located under the barrel 1" from the muzzle. Screw-retained sling swivels are present on a lug forward of the triggerguard and on the third barrel band. A full-length steel trumpet head ramrod is present that retains threads on the end and appears to be original to the gun. The stock has a graceful, semi-Roman nosed profile with a tall comb and an abrupt drop to the wrist. The length of pull is nominally 12.75" with a 1.5" drop at the comb and a 2.5" drop at the heel. An attractive, light and handy officer's fusil in a French style that may be Liege-made, which remains in original flint and likely dates from the 3rd quarter of the 18th century.

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Very good. Smooth bore is moderately oxidized with scattered pitting. Metal lightly cleaned with a dull steel patina. Breech markings remain clear. Lock remains mechanically functional but the mainspring is cracked so the action is weak and mushy. Lock and barrel both remain in original flint with an endoscopic inspection of the breech revealing no welding or alterations. Stock is crisply marked on the butt and remains in good to very good condition with two diagonal cracks in the obverse forend at the second and third barrel bands and some minor chipped loss along the upper edge of the stock forward of the second band. Otherwise, the wood shows some scattered bumps, dings and mars.

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