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| Mysterious musket: Infantry musket M1750(?)/1841 |
| One tends to believe in having obtained a degree of knowledge on Norwegian long-guns, only to suddenly understand that one does not really know anything – as I did when I first saw this musket. At first sight, it is a typical Danish/Norwegian musket from the mid 1700’s, rebuilt from flintlock to percussion at Kongsberg according to the M1841. Looking a bit closer at it, confusion starts. It has probably been restocked in the early 1800’s, making identification somewhat more difficult. The middle runner for the ramrod is not original and was probably changed when the new stock was fitted. The “sideblikk” – the brass “S” for the screws holding the lock are untampered, this is what started the confusion. Danish/Norwegian muskets of the time always had three screws through this plate; here there are only two. None of the “old” markings (markings from before 1841) are identical to Danish/Norwegian markings. Could this musket be from somewhere else? With the exception of it having been stored with mounted bayonet and that some rust has occurred between barrel and bayonet, the musket is in perfect, brand new, mint condition. It is still covered in the original grease from the arsenal! Why store a musket with the bayonet mounted? Because it was different to the other muskets at the arsenal and only this one bayonet fitted? Your guess is as good as mine. Here is my personal theory. This is a Swedish musket from the mid 1700’s. It was lost to the Norwegians in battle in 1808, possibly receiving a hard blow to the stock by the middle ramrod runner so the stock broke. Due to the English blockade of Skagerak and their robbing of the Danish fleet, military long-guns were scarce at the time. The musket was therefor taken to a Norwegian arsenal for repair. Being a different model than the Danish/Norwegian ones, there were no spare parts available for this musket and a rather crude runner for the ramrod was made and mounted on the new stock. The musket was then greased down and put into storage. In 1841 it was taken out of storage, converted to percussion, greased down again and put into storage. It was probably never used after 1808. Any better suggestions are appreciated. |
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