Item Description
Original Item: One of a Kind. Henry Nock (1741–1804) was a legendary London Gunsmith, Inventor, and Engineer, who began his career as a locksmith, patenting a design in 1775, before forming several companies to market his products. He truly rose to prominence in 1779 with being contracted to produce James Wilson's "Volley Gun" design, which are highly sought after. Nock became a Freeman of the Gunmakers Company in 1784, after which he was one of the most sought after gunmakers during the French Revolution and Napoleonic periods. His guns were well made, and his designs very innovative, and he carved out a solid place in British gunmaking history before his death in 1804.
This is a very interesting sergeant's short musket, in a reduced caliber of 0.65", about the same as the pistol an NCO or officer might be armed with. This means they would only have to carry one side of ammunition for both weapons. At the time sergeants might also be carrying a "spontoon" polearm, as well as a sword, as they accompanied the infantry, so a lighter and shorter musket was definitely a plus.
The musket measures 45 ¾ inches in overall length, with a 30 inch long smoothbore barrel, which shows a spiral forging pattern on the exterior. It is marked --- LONDON --- on the top of the barrel, and the lock plate is marked H. NOCK.. The lock itself is a very upmarket design, featuring a beveled tail as seen on private purchase arms and a lovely swan neck cock. It has a frizzen reinforcement bridle from the pan, as well as a roller on the end of the frizzen spring. It is also fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full.
The stock is lovely, showing a dark brown finish, and we can se that much of it has a lovely "flame" figured pattern, visible under strong light. It is fitted with two ramrod pipes on the bottom, which hold a substantial ramrod with an enlarged shank. We can see a good It has both sling swivels intact, and has all brass fittings. There is also a lovely leather cheek pad on the top of the butt stock, which definitely looks to be period, and is in somewhat delicate condition.
Overall condition is just great, with a lovely patina showing over two centuries of careful cleaning. We did not attempt any major restoration to avoid disturbing the fantastic look of this piece.
A rare Sergeant's short musket from the late 18th century, made by a famous London gunmaker. Ready to research and display!
Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: circa 1780
Caliber: .65"
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 30 inches
Overall Length: 45 ¾ 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. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.
- This product is available for international shipping.
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. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers". 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.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
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