December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
This musket manufactured by Pierre Girard and Company is currently the sole-surviving, complete example in original flint configuration of the grenadier "fusil de St. Etienne de 3 pieds 8 pouces" contracted for the colonial troops of New France and paid for by the Crown during the mid-18th century. A French "royal pied" or foot of the 18th century is equivalent to 1.066 English feet and the pouce was 1/10 of a pied, so a "3 pied 8 pouce" barrel is 46.9 inches American or English measure. 4000 of these "grenadier's muskets" (so-called because they were furnished with sling swivels--slings originally only being provided to grenadiers to allow them to secure their arms when throwing grenades) were ordered from three St. Etienne gunmaking firms: Robert, Girard, and the Carrier brothers, who were contracted to provide another 2000 of the 4000 ordered in October 1758 and which reached New France in spring 1759. Another royal contract for colonial arms, dated 1751, described this pattern in some detail: "grenadier muskets equipped with a bayonet will have a barrel measuring 3 pieds, 8 pouces in length, calibre of 16 [balls per pound], a square [flat-faced] lockplate, a panned bridle, fitted with cast brass furniture, grenadier swivels, and iron ramrod and ramrod pipes and flat bayonet...." [Glaydyz, "The French Trade Gun in America, 1662-1759" (2008), p. 68]. This rare grenadier musket of New France is missing the middle band that mounted the front swivel (the barrel secured at this point by a pin--probably a period alteration), while the front of the triggerguard is pierced to accommodate the rear swivel (now missing). This musket measures 61.5 in. overall and has an octagonal-to-round, barrel 46.5 in. L and of 0.74 or 10 bore, with touchmarks on the left side near breech and a top-mounted bayonet lug set 1 3/4 inches back from muzzle edge; vent with period rebushing in iron. Its beveled flat lock is 6 x 1 1/2 in. with gooseneck cock and bridled pan and is engraved "P. GIRARD & / COMPAGNIE" before cock. Brass mountings, including buttplate, triggerguard, sideplate, tailpipe and front band or nosecap (stamped on left face "I.S"), the buttplate, sideplate and triggerguard with period edge and decorative engraving. The middle pipe for the ramrod is of iron, as per the original contract above. Fullstock of European walnut, cutback 3.5 inches at muzzle to admit fixing of bayonet socket to barrel. Period repair/wood replacement to bottom of butt (2 in. up from bottom of buttplate and running horizontally 7 1/2 in., secured by two hand-forged, rose-head nails driven upwards from bottom of stock and by a small, iron pin driven through the bottom of buttplate; a later repair to a break in forestock at tailpipe in which a 1/8 in. fill of epoxy/wood can be found between that crack and the original forestock that extends intact to the nosecap.