December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
Longer and of heavier caliber or bore than infantry “fusils”, the French Royal Army had employed “rampart fusils” or muskets stocked to the muzzle (thus, incapable of mounting bayonets) for the defence of fortifications since the close of the 17th century. In February 1777, Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin, the commissioners to France from the Continental Congress, were offered a considerable stock of arms by a French merchant, consisting of “a large Quantity of Fusees [“fusils”], swords, &c. at Nantes, part of which are good & part broken and damaged” which he proposed selling “for a trifle.” On 27 March 1777, the contract was concluded and the United States found itself in possession of a considerable “magazine” which included “7700 Rampart fusils good, 18,000 do. to be new mounted”, as well as 8200 loose barrels, some of which had corresponding locks and furniture. By January 1778, 1500 of the best rampart muskets were on their way to America, followed by subsequent shipments of complete or repaired ones over the next two years.
This rare example of a French M1717 rampart musket is clearly one that has seen arsenal repairs at some time during its working life in the 18th century, but whether done in France or America is uncertain, pending wood testing. There is a small plug of replacement wood on the lower left face of the butt at plate, while approximately 20 inches of the walnut forestock is replaced in-kind, the technique of angled splicing and inletting or fitting of the wood on this forestock is that observed in 18th century repairs, but little-known or practiced by 21st century restorers of antique arms. Moreover, there was no attempt made to match either grain or wood color, clearly shows this to be an arsenal repair—function over aesthetics. The musket is 63 inches long overall, with a 46 5/8 inch-long, octagonal-to-round barrel of 0.78 bore. The lock and barrel are both stamped ‘IFC”, the mark of Jean Fournier, who supervised the Royal Arms Manufactory at Charleville during the first half of the 18th century, while the lock bears two royal “fleur de lys” stamps, a smaller one at the tail and a large one just before the cock before the IFC touchmark. The number ‘589’ is stamped on the upper corner of the left butt. The iron ramrod is probably a later replacement. Lock in original flint configuration and in very good working order.