Great Britain - 18th century - Tower - Cavalry - Flintlock - Musket - 19.5 mm

This is a very rare English cavalry carbine circa 1750. The style of the gun is similar (but shorter) to the Land Pattern muskets from around this time. The internal diameter of the barrel is 19. 5 mm, with an outer diameter of 55 mm at the breech and of 23. 5 mm at the muzzle. The barrel is thus heavy for its length, as the metal at the breech is 1. 5 to 2 mm thicker than a standard India pattern Brown Bess (52 mm OD at the breech) . The barrel is 84. 4 mm in length with a fast taper and a bayonet lug, which shows this gun was originally built as a carbine; rather than having a long barrel that was subsequently shortened. The side plate is also in the style of the Land pattern muskets and is the flat type, though it may have been ground down to remove older markings. The forward end is marked with an unreadable cartouche, followed by the numbers 96. Behind is a second cartouche that appears to contain the initials LS. The reverse side is marked with the numerals XXII and XXIIII (armours marks) and two cartouches, the first bearing the initials PI and the second is unreadable. The part of the stock hidden under the side plate is also marked with a 96 and the numerals XXII. The escutcheon plate appears to be original and the retaining screw dates around the same time as the rest of the gun. This arrangement is unusual as the escutcheon is normally retained by a screw from the trigger guard. However, as can be seen, the guard is pinned in place and has no screw fixings and is similar to the trigger guard on the 1st edition Land Pattern musket. The barrel has two sets of proof marks; the more recent are two crown over crossed sceptres, which were used to identify commercial guns proofed at the Tower. The older and more worn/partially removed marks show the gun was originally proofed at the Tower by the Board of Ordnance and used by British forces (A crown over crossed sceptres and a crown over a GR over a broad arrow) . The hidden underside of the barrel is marked with a sideways P and the date 1842, which is probably the date the breech plug was changed and the brass front and rear sights were added. There is also a capital G stamped into the underside of the barrel. The inside of barrel is also in good condition; old greased paper was found packed inside, a common practice when a gun is placed into storage by a good armourer. The rear of the lock has a very clear engraving of Tower, and the Imperial Crown over GR. The mechanism and springs are also in very good condition. The absence of an arrow below the crown inspection mark stamped under the frizzen pan shows the lock was not produced for, or owned by the British government (similar to the barrel after refurbishment) . It is probable that the lock dates around the same time as when the refurbishment work was carried out in England. The walnut stock is 115 cm in length and stops 8 cm from the muzzle, to allow for the attachment of a bayonet. The oil finished wood is in good condition for the age and highly resemblant of contemporary Land pattern muskets, though it does not have the raised decoration. However, these may have been removed around the time the private proofs were applied to the barrel. The right side of the stock towards the butt-end is Ordnance marked with a back to back GR and the date 1800, which is probably close to the date the commercial barrel proofs were applied. Below this mark is the date 1814, which is almost certainly when the gun was sent to Sweden in response to Russian incursions; as over 10,000 British arms were supplied to that particular destination in this year. The left side of the stock is marked in at least three places. The rise in the stock supporting the side plate (the counterlock) is marked with the numbers 393 and what appears to be a capital E. Further towards the butt-end is a tiny neatly stamped B (3. 5 mm in height) and below this C13 (or possibly GB) is crudely scratched into the wood.