Description 🔉

East India Company (EIC), .750 Brown Bess New India Pattern Flintlock Musket; 39-inch barrel; the lock made by Rea, dated 1798; features the EIC crest; fitted with brass furniture; the stock bears Indian arsenal marks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Brown Bess Musket?

The Brown Bess was the standard-issue musket of the British Army from the early 18th century through to the early 19th century. It became one of the most iconic military firearms in British history and saw service across countless conflicts, including the Napoleonic Wars and the American War of Independence. The most recognised version was the Infantry Pattern, fitted with a 39-inch barrel, although a number of other variants were produced for use by the Navy, Artillery, and Cavalry. The Brown Bess was a smoothbore musket, meaning the inside of the barrel was smooth and lacked the spiral grooves found in rifled weapons. Because the ball was not spun as it travelled through the barrel, the musket was less accurate than a rifle but considerably faster to load and more practical for mass infantry warfare.By comparison, rifles such as the Baker Rifle used rifling grooves to spin the projectile, greatly improving accuracy and range. However, period terminology can sometimes be confusing, as historical documents occasionally refer to rifles as “rifled muskets” — a term which became more common later in the 19th century.

Is this the Gun Richard Sharpe used?

No. Richard Sharpe famously carried a Baker Rifle throughout much of the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. As a soldier in a rifle regiment, Sharpe would have been issued the Baker Rifle, which was considered highly advanced for its time due to its improved accuracy and longer effective range compared with the standard musket. The Baker Rifle did, however, have a slower reload speed than the commonly issued Brown Bess musket. Throughout the novels, Sharpe is occasionally placed in command of line infantry units whose soldiers carried Brown Bess muskets rather than rifles.

Did the East India Company see action?

Yes. An outdated view still exists within some collecting circles that East India Company weapons are less historically significant or less interesting than their British Army counterparts, partly because it is often harder to trace them to specific regiments or individual soldiers. In reality, the East India Company operated under the authority of the British Government, and its forces served extensively across the globe in some of the most significant and bloody conflicts of the 19th century. The Company maintained large armies in India, commanded by British officers and made up of both British and Indian troops. Due to the political instability of the region and the constant expansion of British influence, East India Company regiments were frequently deployed in military campaigns, often seeing continuous active service. These forces fought in major conflicts including the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the Anglo-Maratha Wars, the First Anglo-Afghan War, the Sikh Wars, and the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Service in India was particularly harsh during the early 19th century, with disease causing enormous casualties. Tropical conditions, along with illnesses such as malaria and cholera, claimed the lives of many soldiers stationed in East India Company territories, often at a higher rate than combat itself.

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Legal Note

For antique firearms such as muskets and rifles, this item is offered strictly as a collectors’ piece. It is sold as a historic firearm for display or study purposes only, and not as a modern, live-firing weapon. Export, import, and ownership regulations vary by country; buyers are responsible for ensuring compliance with their local laws and confirming that they are not prohibited from ownership. In accordance with UK guidelines, the seller is required to verify the buyer’s identification and age prior to completion of the sale.