Bavarian Guns

The second and third patterns are found with the same makers’ names on them, as well as yet other makers: Cranpin, Herzberg. One is Bavarian, a huge single-shot musket of 1832-40 pattern having an odd center-hung percussion hammer. The hammer when cocked has a hole in it through which the front and rear sights may be viewed. The barrel, of about .70 calibre, is rifled and of striped or twist steel, so called Damascus but not figured. The stock has an iron tip, funnel-shaped front thimble to which the front swivel is attached, and a rear thimble running into the wood somewhat like the fittings of the Old Brown Bess. Three cross wedges hold stock and barrel together; at the breech, the stock has flat paneled sides like a Lindsey musket. The rear swivel is on the trigger guard. Mountings are brass.

Complaints guns were no good, did not register too well on men who fought the War with them. After the War, Fred Elliott bought his musket about 1865 for $2.50, and used it for shooting rabbits. Grandson Fred took photo 1899, was noted trick shooter with Colt’s .22 rifles. Musket shown has Danzig lock.

The third type gun resembles the above, but has a side lock with the lockplate extending from the front screw hole right up to make a square-section or area forward of the nipple bolster. This particular lock is of the same form as that used on the Swiss cavalry pistol Model 1842, and the cone seat is curved before and behind. The ramrod has a fancy onion-shaped head surmounted by a cylinder which is cupped for the ball. Brass mounts are like the foregoing “cyclops Bavarian,” and examples are known marked Cranpin, Herzberg, in script on the lockplate. Caliber is also .70, and the barrel may be a twist barrel, though bright specimens are known. One in the U. S. Cartridge Company catalog is listed as having been made by LeMille of Liege. This arm conforms exactly to one in the Rock Island Arsenal Museum long labeled “Garibaldi.” It is be- lieved that the North Italian states which were involved in the Garibaldi revolutions used some of these rifles, doubdess obtained from the Liege trade, and the name stuck. One basic pattern of arm could be issued to a number of different nations, and sometimes be known by their different names. Both “Garibaldi” and “cyclops Bavarian” take socket bayonets.

Superior Prussian muskets were the Model 1839, shown here with locks of Zella (twin cities Zella-Mehlis are gunmaking towns) and Suhl. Cone seat is patent breech that unscrews from barrel. Guns were surplus in 1861 because of German states’ rearming with new “needle gun” breechloader.

Though the “cyclops Bavarian” with the hole in the head like a great eye is the most outstandingly clumsyappearing musket ever seen, it was far from being unserviceable. The very ruggedness of the parts, the utter simplicity of manufacture and maintenance, made it as useful as many more elegant rifles. Hung inboard, the hammer is as well protected as any musket from that bugaboo of all soldiers, dropping the gun on a hard surface and snapping the hammer off.
The “Garibaldi,” a massive chunk of musket, is strongly and precisely made; the Liege standards on government work were high. Boker’s agents were willing to sell the United States almost anything, but they did require that the guns be serviceable. The price of $18 Boker offered the guns for was entirely beside the point; he had every wish to profit. But to deliver good guns was his intention, though he fell short of his goal by about a million dollars.