Colonial and American Revolution Forum

[Ike Godsey]

aber so wirds gehen:

http://www.reocities.com/Ohio_Company/Files/fusil2.pdf

[Ike Godsey]

Guns pre- during and after the FIW:


The 18th century was a period of incredible change that reshaped the political map of Europe and the Western world—and that reshaping included the birth of our own nation. Much of that change began with new arms and military tactics that evolved in the late 1600s when military firearms were improved by the addition of a bayonet that combined both the musket of the musketeer and the traditional long pike of the foot soldier.
The French military was the leader in these major innovations, and it was the most progressive developer of firearms during the 17th and 18th centuries. The French introduced the plug bayonet for military use during the 1640s and the socket bayonet in the 1670s. Other advances included the final practical flintlock mechanism before 1700 and the creation of the first standard military musket in Europe in 1717. The French also added bands—to facilitate removing the barrel for cleaning—in 1728 and designed lighter firearm patterns. A smaller bore size (.69 cal. vs. Britain’s .75 cal.) was chosen to reduce weight in the field, and, in 1741, the steel ramrod was adopted. In 1754, a smaller officer’s shoulder arm was introduced, and the French military installed the first non-corroding brass flashpan in 1777, which was the same year it produced the important center-ring bayonet pattern. France also perfected the superior flake-type gun flint. Those cumulative steps led to a series of tactical innovations on the battlefields, spawning new wars and world alliances—from which America would not be excluded.
The loss of Canada to Britain during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) motivated France to provide its innovative arms to the rebelling American Colonists and, by supplying as many as 200,000 muskets for Washington’s troops, saved our War for Independence. At least 90 percent of the small arms or their components used by the American Colonists came from Europe, and the majority were French. This article is intended to identify the most typical French arms that made our final victory possible.
To understand the basic French firearms available in North America and those used in the Revolutionary War, they have been combined into three chronological periods:

Group I: The Compagnies Franches de la Marine (circa 1730-1755)

While the British settlers created farms and towns in the European tradition (including a preference for heavy muskets and fowlers), settlers in New France focused on exporting furs and fish, which, in turn, required preservation of the existing forests. Thus, their early longarms were usually lighter, of smaller bore and better balanced for traveling in rough terrain. Captured examples were, in fact, preferred by a number of Britain’s new light infantry companies learning to fight in thick woodlands during the French and Indian War.
From 1683 to 1755, the only professional troops defending French Canada were the Compagnies Franches. These units were under the naval ministry and differed from the regular army in uniforms, arms and accouterments. Two basic firearms patterns predominated from 1730 to 1755: the civilian hunting gun, or fusil de chasse, and the military muskets, fusils ordinaire and grenadier. (Most collectors use the term “fusil” in the British manner to identify a lighter and smaller bore musket. In France, the word referred to any smoothbore shoulder arm.) Most were supplied under navy contracts from the independent gunmaker at Tulle, but they were supplemented by others from St. Etienne.
The designs were very similar, having pinned smoothbore barrels on slim, graceful walnut stocks ending in a distinctive Roman-nose butt with a high sloping comb. The locks included a flat/beveled edge plate, a swansneck cock and a faceted flashpan. Their Tulle-style barrels were octagonal at the breech for about 9 1/2" below a 2" section of 16 flats and an incised ring before becoming round for the rest of their length. Iron pipes secured a wooden ramrod. The civilian hunting pattern averaged 60" in length, mounted a 44 1/2", .62-cal. barrel and was stocked to the muzzle. It served as the typical longarm of Canada’s trappers, hunters, militia and Indian allies in the Colonial wars. Longer variations, fusil fin de chasse, having finer details and often brass furniture, were available for the more affluent hunters and as presentation pieces to Indian leaders. These civilian arms had no sling swivels but did include raised carvings around the lock, sideplate and barrel tang.
The common military musket was very similar but had the upper stock cut back to accept a socket bayonet, a longer 46 1/2" barrel with a larger .66-cal. bore, and averaged around 7 to 8 lbs. in weight. An alternate form, originally developed for the grenadiers, added a center barrel band to secure a round, shoulder sling swivel on the inboard side (the second ring was attached behind the lower lock screw). Both of these military patterns included swivels after 1729. Most grenadier examples had shorter 44 1/2" barrels. The muskets from St. Etienne followed the Tulle form, but they often included iron furniture that copied the Army Model 1728 sideplate, trigger guard and buttplate. In 1744, three barrel bands were added to create Tulle’s “fusil domino” pattern, which saw little service in Canada.
Although not officially part of France’s military aid during the Revolutionary War, many captured Tulle arms were already in American hands from earlier encounters, and their parts are often found remounted on Colonial guns.

Group II: The Regular French Army in North America (1755-1763)

At the outbreak of the French and Indian War, France sent regular army regiments (troupes de terre) to defend New France beginning in 1755. They brought the heavier, standard muskets designed for open-field fighting in Europe. Most were produced under the supervision of artillery officers at the three royal manufactories: Charleville, St. Etienne and Maubeuge. Tulle became the fourth in 1777—primarily for naval arms. This period is best typified by two patterns, each identified by its original date of issue: the Model 1717 and the Model 1728.
Both were approximately 62" in length and mounted a 46 3/4" barrel having a .69-cal. bore. The military walnut stocks omitted raised border carvings, but kept the Roman-nose butt with a high sloping comb. The flat/beveled lock held a swansneck cock plus a faceted flashpan and outside bridle. Total weight was 8 to 9 lbs.
The iron furniture included a long, thin, worm-like pinned butt tang, a double-pointed trigger guard (with two screws), a flat “L” form sideplate and two round sling swivels on the inboard side. The round barrel’s breech was octagonal. The original wooden rammers were replaced by steel rods beginning in 1741.
The Model 1717 was the first European standard-issue military arm. It had a pinned barrel, plus a center band to secure the forward side sling swivel. The distinctive lock is identified by a vertical exterior bridle between the frizzen and frizzen spring screws. Some 48,000 were manufactured.
Although resembling the Model 1717, the Model 1728 had a horizontal exterior bridle and added three barrel bands. In 1754, the round sling swivels moved underneath the stock, but few of that pattern reached Canada. The Model 1728 was used in North America by the 1730s, and it became France’s workhorse musket until 1763. A total of 375,000 were produced.

by G.C. Neumann

[Ike Godsey]

bitte sehr oli.

wobei die wahrheit wohl wie gewohnt schon irgendwo in der mitte liegt.
fakt ist, dass coloniale zeughäuser zwischen dem FIW und dem AWI mit britischen Brown Bess musketen gefüllt waren, zwar auch mit französischen waffen, dennoch wurde ja vorallem munition deswegen von den briten bereitgetellt, weil diese ja das coloniale milizsystem schon von amtswegen unterstützen und es eben einfach billiger war, an colonien waffen und munition zu verkaufen, als dort mehr soldaten zu stationieren. das diese munition für die Brown Bess ausgelegt war ist logisch.

fakt ist auch, dass die mehrzahl der milizen (man spricht von mehr als 80%) die am 19. April 1775 auf die briten schossen und diese später zurück nach bosten trieben, mit britischen Brown Bess bewaffnet waren. bis zu diesem zeitpunkt gab es für die briten ja keinen grund, waffen und munition zurück zu halten. was sich nach concord natürlich schlagartig änderte.

aber dies alles trifft auf den AWI zu, hier sind wir dazu im falschen thread

[Christoph]

http://www.jaegerkorps.org/NRA/Hunting% ... merica.htm

[Ike Godsey]

Hier eine Steinschloss „Fuzzee“ wie man sie durchaus „in the good old colony days“ von einem Büchsenmacher seiner Wahl für kleines Geld bauen lassen konnte. Hintergedanke des Projekts war der für jeden Mann zwischen 16 und 60 zwingende Milizdienst, für den man gezwungen war eine geeignete Schusswaffe nebst Pulver und Kugeln, Feuersteine etc. zu haben.

Wenn man von Vater, Großvater oder sonstigem Verwandten keine bekam (gemeint ist in einer Vererbung), wird man sich ein paar Münzen erarbeitet haben (so mit 15 vielleicht) um sich dafür beim o.g. Büchsenmacher oder Dorfschmied eine taugliche „Muskete“ zu erwerben.

In den Colonien war es üblich, Güter und Teile lange zu verwenden und wenn nötig zu recyclen. Das galt auch für den Waffenbau. Neugefertigte Waffen waren teuer und für die meisten 15, 16 jährigen eher unerschwinglich.

Somit musste das Ding billig sein. Der „Maker“ hat somit wohl vorhandene Teile zusammengesucht, wenn nötig repariert, und zu einer „Muskete“ zusammengesetzt. Beispiele für solche Waffen gibt es in der Literatur genügend.

Hier habe ich mal in ein paar Bildern festgehalten, was ich wie gemacht habe, und wie das Ergebnis aussieht.

Als Grundstock diente eine französische 1717er Muskete mit defektem Lauf. Ich habe das Ding für 150 € in eGun geschossen und mal „auf Halde“ gelegt. So sah das Teil aus, das bei mir ankam:







Ich habe einen Lauf einer Replik einer Spanischen 1757er Infanterie Muskete bekommen und da dieser ebenfalls von 8-kannt in rund übergeht, hab ich diesen genommen. Der Lauf ist von den Maßen her etwas unterschiedlich, so habe musste ich den Schaft etwas ausnehmen um den Lauf einzupassen.



Es war erforderlich das Zündloch zu schließen und ein neues zu setzten. Ich habe also ein Gewinde in das alte Zündloch geschnitten, eine Schraube eingedreht und diese hartverlötet und wieder poliert. Das hält bombenfest. Der Lauf bekam an seiner Unterseite natürlich ein paar Flacheisen, damit der Lauf im Schaft gestiftet werden kann.



Auch das Schloss brauchte eine Überarbeitung…



Die Batteriefeder hab ich ein wenig "weicher" gemacht.



Auch neue Schrauben mussten sein (rechts), wenn auch „nur fürs Auge“



Und nach ein paar Stunden Arbeit und viel schleifen und polieren, beizen und ölen:



Wedding Bands. Tiefer hab ich mich nicht getraut...



Der Schaft wurde ein wenig zurück geschnitten und die Ladestockaufnahme entspr. geformt.







Das Korn wurde neu gefertigt.





Und da hängt sie nun…



Eckdaten: Lauf: 43“ Lang, Kal. .72 (12GA)

all comments welcome…

[Toddy]

Schaut gut aus

War das die von Egun die der Vorbesitzer entschärft hat aus Unwissen? Da war vor kurzem eine im Angebot mit angebohrten Lauf.

[Ike Godsey]

Danke! ja, exakt die war das.

[Lederstrumpf]

Sehr schöne Arbeit Ike!
Gefällt mur richtig gut.
Grüße
Lederstrumpf

[Toddy]

Danke! ja, exakt die war das.

Ich hab mich da die ganze Zeit gefragt warum man eine frei ab 18 verkäufliche Waffe,auch noch entschärft.

[Ike Godsey]

Sehr schöne Arbeit Ike!
Gefällt mur richtig gut.
Grüße
Lederstrumpf

danke!