Brown Bess

[Drydock]

[Oregon Bill]

Rob is a hoot, and so devoted.
I have a Pedersoli Bess that I keep wanting to shorten, a la Rogers Rangers, but that is for another period.
Bet there were a few Besses doing their humble duty on the Plains, though. Maybe arms once fielded by Santa Anna's soldiers.

[Pay Dirt Norvelle]

I have a Brown Bess from Loyalist Arms.  It is one that has been cut down a la Rogers Rangers.  One of these days I will go out to my local range and shoot it. 

[Tsalagidave]

He did a great presentation of the arm.  I often describe the Brown Bess as the Kalashnikov of its age. For very good reason, it was literally found everywhere. I have encountered Bessie's with 1862 marks after they were converted to percussion.  They definitely left their mark on America's firearms history. I would definitely like to have at least one percussion Tower Musket in the collection.

-Dave

[Jake MacReedy]

Manuel Lisa took one with him when he went up the Missouri in 1803.  I'm sure a number of them continued being used in the West, until they were converted to percussion...and then used some more anti they were all used up!  Basically, it's a "12 gauge single barrel shotgun!"
Jake