Musket id clues please

Curly1

Curly1

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Location
North Eastern Nova Scotia
I was recently shown a musket that was found in the wall of an old house. It has some markings on the barrel and lock, we are hoping to clearly identify once we do a little clean up (light steel wool only, no oil or solvents, right?). The musket has a very nice full length stock with no cracks and 3 'beefy' brass bands holding the apx 39" barrel (the brass bands are held in place by a pin which retracts when a small metal insert in the stock is pushed). The lock still holds and works, but, is does have issues with how the hammer is secured and the condition of the hammer. One of the marks appears to be a multi point crown and as soon as it is cleaned up a bit I'll see about posting pictures. What I would like to ask right now is if there is some place to get a list of marks used or some direction, with the limited info available, to start us looking in the right places to identify the old beauty?

Cheers
Curly1
 
I would use oil and fine steel wool for cleaning the metal; it is less aggressive than dry steel wool.

Also time for the weekly "post some photos" statement"

cheers mooncoon
 
As soon as the weather here in NS clears up (bit of a storm here in Atlantic Canada today), I will be heading over to the old guys place, camera in hand. Any specific marks or places we should look for marks(like the pointy crown)? There appear to be a backward K and some other letters like an A and numbers.
 
Side of the lock plate, top of the barrel, underside of the barrel, inside the lock plate. Be careful when taking it apart for cleaning and dont force any screws.

I second the 0000 steel wool and oil. That works very well.

With pics it will be much easier to give you an idea of what it is.

Cheers, McLean
 
For cleaning, use EXTRA-FINE steel wool.

FINE is too coarse, SUPERFINE just crumbles into dust when you try to use it: useless.

I am assuming that you are using Canadian-made steel wool. It is actually spun iron and pretty soft, but still you don't work it too hard because those old guns were just soft iron themselves. If you can get Brass wool or a copper scouring-pad, that might be better if you haven't done this before.

Your clean down the metal with the Steel Wool BEFORE you oil. Getting the oil mixed with rust-dust just gives you grinding compound. It will remove the rust, allright, but it will also remove any original finish which might be remaining. I learned this many years ago...... by very nearly wrecking a century-old blue job which had surface rust. I still can't look at that rifle without cringing.
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smellie said:
For cleaning, use EXTRA-FINE steel wool.

FINE is too coarse, SUPERFINE just crumbles into dust when you try to use it: useless.

I am assuming that you are using Canadian-made steel wool. It is actually spun iron and pretty soft, but still you don't work it too hard because those old guns were just soft iron themselves. If you can get Brass wool or a copper scouring-pad, that might be better if you haven't done this before.

Your clean down the metal with the Steel Wool BEFORE you oil. Getting the oil mixed with rust-dust just gives you grinding compound. It will remove the rust, allright, but it will also remove any original finish which might be remaining. I learned this many years ago...... by very nearly wrecking a century-old blue job which had surface rust. I still can't look at that rifle without cringing.
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Click to expand...

I think I saw your post on cleaning old firearms before Smellie, but for some reason I got #0000 Super Fine/Extra Fine from a Canadian supplier. Should I get the #00 Very Fine or go ahead with the dry #0000, lightly of course?

PS- I am getting together with the owner on Friday for a picture session and light cleaning to reveal marks only for now.
 
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