The Brown Bess: An Identification Guide and Illustrated Study by Erik Goldstein and Stuart Mowbray

Illustrated study of the Brown Bess, from the Pattern 1730 Long Land Musket through the Pattern 1809 Musket (India Pattern Type 2), including details of each pattern, production facilities and dates. Softcover, 160 pages, 11" X 8-1/2".

One of the most widespread and legendary guns of the flintlock era was the Brown Bess. Carried by the famed British Redcoats and used throughout the British empire for almost 100 years, these muskets went through many pattern changes over the course of their service to the Crown.

To the soldier in the field, the pattern changes didn’t mean much. A musket was a musket, and since they were all handmade, no two were identical (especially in the sense that we know identical today). But to today’s collectors and historians, these small, little-noticed details are part of the thrill of examining antique arms. In The Brown Bess, authors Goldstein and Mowbray have assembled an impressive display of the Brown Bess, from the Pattern 1730 Long Land Musket through the Pattern 1809 Musket (India Pattern Type 2). The authors explain the details of each pattern and give the names of the gunmaking firms, the supply dates, the observed dates on extant guns and the location of manufacture.

While the background details make this a valuable book for researching the Brown Bess, it is the wealth of full-color photographs that make this book a must for anyone interested in the Bess. Exterior, interior and detail shots graphically show the details of each pattern. And because each firearm was made by hand in many different shops, the detail photos clearly show the marks, numerals, letters and names that help identify the pattern, maker and the year of production.