Original Massive British P-1738/72 Brown Bess Flintlock 5 Bore Rampart Gun with Swivel Mounting Yoke
Item Description
Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is awe inspiring, being so massive and all original, including the ancient worm holes! Until not so many years ago it did hang in a Scottish Castle, but was liberated in the 1990s. Rampart Guns, often called Wall guns, were large caliber smooth-bore muskets that were used in the 16th through 18th centuries by defending forces to break the advance of enemy troops. They were too heavy to be fired from the shoulder and so were usually rested on window ledges or low walls on fortified ramparts surrounding forts and castles, hence the names.
This substantial flintlock rampart gun weighs in at about 37 lbs, so heavy that company director Christian Cranmer can hardly pick it up, even though he is only about 75 years old. It has a 54 1/2″ Barrel in approximately 5 BORE (15/16 inch), and the huge lock measures 9 1/4″ in length. The gun is all brass mounted with Brown Bess style furniture of massive size. It has a plain escutcheon/thumb plate and three brass ramrod pipes. It also still retains its very substantial oversized steel ramrod, so often lost over the years.
The lock is engraved with TOWER across the tail and CROWN over G.R. together with an “Lock Viewer’s” inspector stamping. The breech end of the barrel has additional proof marks, including
The weapon still retains its original Horse Shoe type swivel mount with a large post, designed to sit in a mounting hole on a castle’s rampart or ship’s side. These very big weapons saw much use in the Royal Navy and on fortifications in North America, especially during the French and Indian Wars. For this example made after 1772, it also could have seen service in the Revolutionary War.
The gun presents very attractively and as stated earlier displays ancient woodworm damage, which appears totally stabilized. It gives the feeling of really having been in service. We checked the lock, and it holds correctly at half cock, firing at full. Very impressive, probably one of the LARGEST BROWN BESS Muskets ever made.
Ready to display in any Collection, if you have the room!
PLEASE NOTE: We have photographed this Wall Gun next to its contemporary 62 Inch Long Model P-1730 Brown Bess Musket carried by the Infantry of the day, to show the immense size of this Wall Gun. The Musket is NOT included in this offering and is shown only for comparison. (It is available separately).
Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: circa 1772
Caliber: about .96 inches (5 Bore)
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 54 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 73 inches
Action: Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.
Related products
Be the first to review “Original Massive British P-1738/72 Brown Bess Flintlock 5 Bore Rampart Gun with Swivel Mounting Yoke”