Gevär m/1815-38

Started by Fabian23, 04. March 2016 kl. 7:35:48

Previous topic - Next topic

Fabian23

After much searching I finally found a very good m/1815-38 flint musket!  It is an interesting mix of features.  The lock features a pan and frizzen pan cover that are shaped to minimise water seepage yet it also has an archaic dog-catch which I know the Swedes were very attached to.  The breech tang screw is screwed in from the bottom up, which is also a feature I associate with matchlocks.  They have also not bothered with fiddly sling swivel fittings.  The rear sling bar is fitted directly through the trigger guard and the front one is fitted on the screw holding the middle band in place.

From what I understand, the '38 designation is due to the fact that the rear sight is dovetailed into the breech plug.  Very handy if I ever want to compete with it since I could remove it.  The minor problem is that you have to unscrew the breech plug to slide the rear sight out!  A dent in the side of the sight shows that someone tried to tap it out sideways during its lifetime.

The inside of the lock and underside of the barrel have the date 1835.  Does that correspond to the manufacture date?  If so, would it have received a new '38 breech plug later or would the original one have been refinished?

Pics will come later since it is in bits for cosmetic cleaning and I need to clear some crud blocking the bore level with the touch hole
Give me iron, steel and wood!  Tupperware guns are for losers!

My website, growing entry by entry:http://www.militarygunsofeurope.eu[/url]

jæger justnæs

Congratulations with a nice musket.
For international shooters, the removable rear sight and the shortened musket model are desirable features. Looking forward to pictures :-)
Best når det smeller!

Fabian23

Hi

I wasn't aware that it was shorter than the m/1815.  What is the correct barrel length?

The only slight disappointment is that the original ramrod it came with (Husquvarna marked) is about 5cm too short.  It has a threaded tip which I guess means it came from a shorter m1815 variant.  I won't be using it so it doesn't really matter.
Give me iron, steel and wood!  Tupperware guns are for losers!

My website, growing entry by entry:http://www.militarygunsofeurope.eu[/url]

Fabian23

Was the stock on these muskets stained or varnished?  

There are remnants of a dark brown finish on some areas of the stock and under the barrel bands.
Give me iron, steel and wood!  Tupperware guns are for losers!

My website, growing entry by entry:http://www.militarygunsofeurope.eu[/url]

jæger justnæs

Sorry, I think I've made an error in identifying. I was mixing the model with the M1815-26 infantry jäger musket. (Length: 129,6 cm Barrel: 89,2 cm). Do you have any pictures yet?
The M1815-38 is described by Josef Alm as (rougly translated):
Gevär m/1815-1838. "1815 years third model". Total length 147,5 cm, weight 4,81 kg, caliber 18,55 mm. As earlier model but with a different(removable) rear sight. ..... Often misnamed as m/1815-1830.

As far as I know, all stocks of the period was brown stained. Likely they was oiled and/or varnished. Maybe our Swedish friends know more?

Regards, Tor
Best når det smeller!

Fabian23

It is in bits at the moment to clean the 180 years of dirt off it so here are a few auction pics.





You can see from the area around the lock that there are remains of paint or coloured varnish.  The cheek recess also still has a good amount of this finish left.  I am not going to remove it, I'm just curious.

The touch hole was blocked when it arrived, upon cleaning the barrel I discovered it still had a small powder charge in it :-D
Give me iron, steel and wood!  Tupperware guns are for losers!

My website, growing entry by entry:http://www.militarygunsofeurope.eu[/url]

Fabian23

I finally got her out for a test run!

It was a very light load just to see if she would go bang.  Any load data would be very appreciated!

https://youtu.be/gjGRxoePmf8
Give me iron, steel and wood!  Tupperware guns are for losers!

My website, growing entry by entry:http://www.militarygunsofeurope.eu[/url]

jæger justnæs

Looks very good, Fabian23!
What was the presicion with loose ball like compared to patched ball?

Im my Swedish birch stocked Brown Bess (1808-9 muskets from England) I use a light load after a tip from Mr. Flatnes. Somewhere around 55 grains of Swiss #2 (FFF) is quite accurate and sufficient to make holes in paper at 50 meters. As well as being an economic and accurate load mirage is not a big problem. With the smaller diameter M1815 you might want to try out a load starting at 45-50 grains.
Disclaimer, using FFF in a musket is not recommended for beginners and/or muskets of dubious quality!

Tip: You may reduce the cliks by wiping the flint and frizzen with a dry cloth prior to priming the pan for every shot. Especially in damp weather but i seems to improve ignition also in dry conditions.
Best når det smeller!

Fabian23

> Looks very good, Fabian23!
> What was the presicion with loose ball like compared to patched ball?
>
> Im my Swedish birch stocked Brown Bess (1808-9 muskets from England) I use a light load after a tip from Mr. Flatnes. Somewhere around 55 grains of Swiss #2 (FFF) is quite accurate and sufficient to make holes in paper at 50 meters. As well as being an economic and accurate load mirage is not a big problem. With the smaller diameter M1815 you might want to try out a load starting at 45-50 grains.
> Disclaimer, using FFF in a musket is not recommended for beginners and/or muskets of dubious quality!
>
> Tip: You may reduce the cliks by wiping the flint and frizzen with a dry cloth prior to priming the pan for every shot. Especially in damp weather but i seems to improve ignition also in dry conditions.

Thanks for the tip.  My load was 55gr 1.5F (Swiss *4), so weak it was not reaching the target :-D

From what I hear from other shooters both methods are equivalent for accuracy.  The "sandwich" method is easier to load but it is only accurate IF you have balls of exactly your bore diameter, which I don't yet have.
Give me iron, steel and wood!  Tupperware guns are for losers!

My website, growing entry by entry:http://www.militarygunsofeurope.eu[/url]