More black-powder history and trivia…
Judging from the interests in this sub-forum, I bet a good number of you have a gun marked 'Barnett.' Prove me right, why don't you.
John Edward Barnett established his firm in London in 1796, and by 1842 it was recorded as John Edward Barnett & Sons. Barnett was the most prolific English manufacturer associated with the American Confederacy, making and selling thousands of Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle-Muskets and P-1856 cavalry carbines. Barnett's guns were usually marked "Barnett," and flint and percussion trade guns were supplied to the North American fur trade (notably to the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company).
The real and lucrative gun-making business was fulfilling military contracts involving thousands of arms and cheap-but-serviceable guns used as trade and barter items in distant lands. Barnett was one of these businesses. Out of necessity, Barnett would have had a sizeable in-house capacity, could afford water- or steam-powered machinery and factory space and provide work for hundreds of outworkers supplying the gun trade.
What is less known is that Barnett also built a small number of sporting guns. The sporting market in the 1850s was tiny compared to government contracts, especially for the new breech-loading game guns. In a business selling thousands of guns on contract, you could wonder why they might bother with a market in which they might sell fewer than ten guns in a year. And, from a sportsman's perspective, why buy a bespoke hunting gun from a military supplier when several respected makers could supply the same?
I can't answer either question, but this gun proves that Barnett did dabble, if only briefly, in the burgeoning breech-loading market.
The gun is a 12-bore, number 7076. It has the Joseph Lang-type single-bite forward under-lever with assisted-opening stud covered in my earlier post, and the action bar is signed "Joseph Brazier." The back-action locks are marked "Barnett," and the top rib is signed "Barnett London," as was typical for this maker.
Joseph Brazier was recorded as a gunlock maker and gun and pistol maker at The Ashes, Brickkiln Street, Wolverhampton, since at least 1827, and in the 1861 census, he was listed as a master gunmaker employing 70 men and 20 boys, an extensive operation for that time. His firm might have provided Barnett with the barrelled action and the locks, or Brazier might have made the entire gun to Barnett's wishes (both were commonplace practices in the trade). Brazier would have been amongst the first to build breech-loading actions outside of London; Brazier locks have always been in exceptionally high regard, and the locks on the Barnett still speak beautifully.
The 28 7/8" barrels are marked with London proofs. It has seen hard use, and a few screws look to have been replaced, but it is in generally good order for what appears to be an 1850s pin-fire. The gun weighs 6 lb 11 oz. Whether Barnett built the gun from ordered parts or added their name to a finished gun is anyone's guess. However, the individual components were of good quality, and the design was cutting-edge in its day.
Perhaps with the emergence of the pin-fire breech-loader in the 1850s, the firm saw an opportunity to expand its trade. In practice, it never did go in that direction.
As long as there is interest in these overlooked black-powder beauties, I'll keep posting.
Judging from the interests in this sub-forum, I bet a good number of you have a gun marked 'Barnett.' Prove me right, why don't you.
John Edward Barnett established his firm in London in 1796, and by 1842 it was recorded as John Edward Barnett & Sons. Barnett was the most prolific English manufacturer associated with the American Confederacy, making and selling thousands of Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle-Muskets and P-1856 cavalry carbines. Barnett's guns were usually marked "Barnett," and flint and percussion trade guns were supplied to the North American fur trade (notably to the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company).
The real and lucrative gun-making business was fulfilling military contracts involving thousands of arms and cheap-but-serviceable guns used as trade and barter items in distant lands. Barnett was one of these businesses. Out of necessity, Barnett would have had a sizeable in-house capacity, could afford water- or steam-powered machinery and factory space and provide work for hundreds of outworkers supplying the gun trade.
What is less known is that Barnett also built a small number of sporting guns. The sporting market in the 1850s was tiny compared to government contracts, especially for the new breech-loading game guns. In a business selling thousands of guns on contract, you could wonder why they might bother with a market in which they might sell fewer than ten guns in a year. And, from a sportsman's perspective, why buy a bespoke hunting gun from a military supplier when several respected makers could supply the same?
I can't answer either question, but this gun proves that Barnett did dabble, if only briefly, in the burgeoning breech-loading market.
The gun is a 12-bore, number 7076. It has the Joseph Lang-type single-bite forward under-lever with assisted-opening stud covered in my earlier post, and the action bar is signed "Joseph Brazier." The back-action locks are marked "Barnett," and the top rib is signed "Barnett London," as was typical for this maker.
Joseph Brazier was recorded as a gunlock maker and gun and pistol maker at The Ashes, Brickkiln Street, Wolverhampton, since at least 1827, and in the 1861 census, he was listed as a master gunmaker employing 70 men and 20 boys, an extensive operation for that time. His firm might have provided Barnett with the barrelled action and the locks, or Brazier might have made the entire gun to Barnett's wishes (both were commonplace practices in the trade). Brazier would have been amongst the first to build breech-loading actions outside of London; Brazier locks have always been in exceptionally high regard, and the locks on the Barnett still speak beautifully.
The 28 7/8" barrels are marked with London proofs. It has seen hard use, and a few screws look to have been replaced, but it is in generally good order for what appears to be an 1850s pin-fire. The gun weighs 6 lb 11 oz. Whether Barnett built the gun from ordered parts or added their name to a finished gun is anyone's guess. However, the individual components were of good quality, and the design was cutting-edge in its day.
Perhaps with the emergence of the pin-fire breech-loader in the 1850s, the firm saw an opportunity to expand its trade. In practice, it never did go in that direction.
As long as there is interest in these overlooked black-powder beauties, I'll keep posting.
