Original Item: One of a Kind. Well this is something we haven't had before, a rare British Special Pattern Flintlock carbine with a rifled barrel, which was made for service during the French Revolutionary War. This period preceded the later Napoleonic wars, and Britain and other parts of Europe were heavily involved, not the least because they feared the revolution would spread to their own countries.

The carbine is marked with HH on the oval brass escutcheon on the back of the wrist, and number 29 is engraved onto the bow of the trigger guard. It came with an old collection tag, which gives some very information on the carbine, identifying it as a "British Military Special Pattern Rifled Carbine for the Mounted Chasseurs of the "Hompesch's Hussars" Regt." Research indicates that this unit was a British controlled German light cavalry regiment of the French Armée des Émigrés raised by the Freiherr von Hompesch.

In the spring 1794, the British War Office ordered the formation of several new units within the Holy Roman Empire, notably within Hanover and Swabia. That year, Charles, Freiherr von Hompesch, signed a capitulation with the British government in which he would organise a legion, later known as Hompesch's Legion. The new group would be composed of the following: one Hussar Regiment of three squadrons and two mounted chasseurs (rifles) were attached totalling 913 in all ranks. The second unit was an infantry battalion of six companies and 801 of all ranks. By the end of 1794, the new legion was formed, with its mounted element becoming the Hompesch Hussars.

The new regiment was composed of three squadrons of three troops of 3 officers and 81 other ranks each. The horses were Polish or Hungarian, and the uniform comprised a green pelisse and green dolman with a red collar and red breeches, and was surmounted by a red hussar cap with a white plume. The new regiment was raised at Schwarm and most of its original rank and file with three-quarters of its officers being émigrés, the rest being German. The regiment wore the badge of the Prince of Wales, George August Frederick. They took part in the Battle of Boxtel during 1794, where they performed very well, and then saw action in Flanders, however did not perform nearly as well. The unit was then sent to the the West Indies, which would become known as the graveyard of the British Foreign Corps. What was left of the unit returned to Europe in 1797, and was disbanded, however there are some references to the remnants joining the Prince of Wales Hussars, though information on this is scarce.

The Lock Plate on the carbine is marked with CROWN / G.R. mid lock for King George III, with TOWER marked on the tail. The lock has a swan neck cock, indicating pre-1808 construction, and is also equipped with the frizzen support bridle on the pan, and two screws behind the lock, both late 18th Century improvements to the design. There is also a roller on the end of the frizzen spring, a fairly high end appointment and indicating that it was procured through private channels. The lock matches that seen on an "HH" marked Baker Rifle seen here at the British Militaria Forums: HH Baker Rifle. We checked the action, and it is fully functional, holding correctly at half cock and firing only at full.

The carbine looks very much like a short baker rifle, and we do see that the characteristic trigger guard does have a sling swivel fitting, but none is installed. There is a saddle bar with a ring on the left side, and the gun is all brass mounted, measuring 33 1/4" in overall length with a 17 1/4" long 0.62" caliber barrel with seven groove rifling. This bears two clear CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS markings, for Pre-1813 inspection at the Ordnance Proof house on Tower Wharf close to the Tower of London. This is the marking for "Private" arms, just as one would expect to see on a privately purchased example. There is also C. II next to these markings, which we unfortunately are not able to identify. We checked the bore, and the seven groove rifling is still easily visible, with just a bit of past fowling, now removed. It does not look to have seen much use at all during its life.

The metalwork is in very good shape, showing a lovely polished patina on the barrel, with no signs of major oxidation or past pit rust. The lock shows a lovely lightly stained color, while the brass components show just the right amount of age. The stock is in good shape, with a lovely color, showing some great grain. It shows the expected small dents and dings from use in service, but is really quite attractive. There is also a lovely cheek piece on the left side of the stock for a more comfortable hold when aiming. We were not able to find any markings on the stock or in the ramrod pipe, and there is a repaired crack on the left side along the barrel woodline. There is a VERY large diameter shortened ramrod under the barrel.

A fantastic example of a rare British Flintlock Carbine, the first and most likely only example we will ever see! Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1795
Caliber: .62" with Seven Groove Rifling
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 17 1/4 inches
Overall Length: 33 1/4 inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action
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. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.