December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
This is a handsome and complete example of the Pattern 1742 Long Land musket, an arm that is extremely rare today, although nearly 107,000 of them were produced between 1742 and 1751. Approximately 1/3 of all those produced were shipped to the British colonies in North America between c. 1744 and 1763, most primarily used by both British regulars and American colonists in three conflicts: King George's War, the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War. As such, between loss and damage, and later alterations, few can be found today in their original flintlock configuration, with 46-inch barrels and wooden ramrods--this fine musket by James Farmer being one of the fortunate exceptions. The tapering, round barrel has centered Ordnance view and proof marks near the breech and partially-obscured marks to the left, consisting of a "[crown]/1" and "IF", the latter bineg the touchmark for gunmaker James Farmer; there are also crown and crossed scepter strikes on the barrel tang. The classic P1740 lock, with “banana” shape, convex-profile plate is engraved behind its swan-neck cock "FARMER / 1745" and before with a "[crown] / GR" and struck with crowned broad arrow inspection mark beneath the bridled pan. All mountings are brass of Land Pattern form, the pipes for wood ramrod, the latter of which appears to be original to the gun. The walnut stock has had some minor restoration-fill of a crack on the left face of the butt running to the underside and has been lightly-sanded and varnished, but none of the original markings have been lost, including a deep storekeeper's stamp of "[crown]/GR" on the right face of butt, inspection marks behind the triggerguard and setup marks in the ramrod channel. The associated, "shield" bayonet is 21 5/8 in. L and of the form typically observed during the 1730s-early 1740s, its 17 in. L, wide blade has a raised guard at the shank and the 1 1/2 in. wide face of the blade is slightly concave; the shank is joined to the socket with a rounded "shield" shaped apron and "120" is engraved along 3rd step of the mortise; there are 3 struck marks on the blade: a dot and what appears to be a "P" and a serifed "V". CONDITION: the lock is in good working order and the arm appears to be complete with all of its original components, the surface of both barrel and lock with a uniform, light freckling and a dark patina; the stock as noted previously, with minor dings and bruises expected after nearly a life of nearly 280 years. The bayonet excellent for its age, with a brownish patina on the socket transitioning to a somewhat bright blade, although a small pressure crack can be seen on the socket.