A 1756 Pattern Brown Bess, Recreated Without Shortcuts

There's been a lot of conversation about the Brown Bess kit we're working on. Questions in the comments, questions at the shop. So Jim sat down and walked through where the project stands. This is a summary of that update.

Starting with an original

We didn't start from a drawing or a photograph. We started with an actual 1756 Long Land Pattern Brown Bess in very good condition, and we're using that as our model.

"This isn't just some kind of AI image or cartoon image," Jim said in the video. "It's actually a very, very detailed three-dimensional 3D model of the stock."

Before anything gets touched by a CNC machine, we need digital data that describes the shape of every part in high detail. That comes from scanning the original piece. You can see the scan data in the update, made up of thousands of little triangles. We don't machine from the scan directly. It works more like a photograph for a 2D drawing. It gives us the road map, and then we build every component in CAD from there.

The trigger guard, the buttplate, the sideplate, the ramrod pipes, every screw. Even the screws are being custom made, since they're a special size.

What we know so far

• Pattern: 1756 Long Land Pattern
• Barrel length: 46 inches
• Caliber: .775 (most likely)
• Ramrod: Steel
• Lock plate: Will be marked Tower

Details most people wouldn't notice

The Brown Bess is a British military musket, but the 1756 pattern still carries real style. Jim pointed this out in the video: "Even though it's a military gun, there's still quite a bit of grace and style with it." Later patterns got watered down. This one didn't.

A few of the details we're modeling from the original:

• The tang apron fades out to nothing, the way the original does.
• The trigger has genuine shape to it. Jim called it "a very beautiful trigger."
• The buttplate is the correct massive size. Most reproductions on the market run at least half an inch too short in the buttplate, which throws the whole buttstock out of proportion.
• The screw slots are being tapered. Harder to machine that way, but the originals had tapered slots.
• The barrel lugs are wedge-shaped and rounded, not square. That taper actually matters when the barrel drops into the stock. It finds the mortise more easily.
• The entry pipe at the front has a funnel that's offset from the actual bore of the pipe, exactly like the original. That funnel is what guides the rammer home.
• The barrel will taper into the sideflats rather than staying round the whole way. Wedding bands at the breech end.
• The barrel lugs will be mortised into the barrel and silver-brazed on for strength. Pin diameter is around 3/32 or a bit larger. Big pins for a big musket.
• The ramrod has the proper swell at the end and a very gradual taper down its length. Jim noted that one's going to be a challenge to make.

None of these are things a casual glance would catch. They add up.

The markings

The originals are covered in stamps and inspector's marks. Tower behind the cock on the lock plate. Crown V and crown P for view and proof on the barrel. Assembly numbers scattered across the sideplate, guard, and stock. Some we understand. Some we don't yet. Jim's honest about that in the video: "I'll sort out what all these mean. I know some people have studied that and can help understand what all these marks mean."

We'll recreate the ones that are important and significant. Most will be stamped in. The crown V and P on the barrel will likely be machined, since modern barrel steel doesn't take a deep stamp well.

If you're one of the people who has studied the Bess markings closely, we'd love to hear from you.

Where the project stands

Almost everything is designed except the lock. Jim's words: "It's been kind of a monumental task, but it's coming along well."

The lock is the next big piece. Massive, with strong springs, and the same 17th-century feel that Andrew Dolep is often credited with bringing to the early Bess pattern. Even in a 1759-dated original, that older styling is still present.

After the lock is modeled, we still have to figure out how to actually make all these parts. That's not a small step. These are complex shapes, and some of them will need new tooling and new processes we haven't used before.

So: no estimated availability date yet. We won't set one until we're confident we can hit it.

Why we're taking this long

There are Brown Bess offerings already on the market. Most cut corners. Undersized buttplates, wrong proportions, missing details. For someone who's focused and drilled down on the details, that's disappointing.

We design the kit. We machine the parts. The craftsmanship is the builder's, and a builder deserves to start with something that's actually right. That's why every screw, every taper, every marking is getting the same treatment as the pieces you'd see first.

Be first to know

Want to hear the moment the Brown Bess kit is ready, when pricing is set, and when preorders open? Join the interest list below. We'll only email you about the Brown Bess.

You can watch Jim's full update on our YouTube channel. Questions? Leave them on the video or send them along. Jim reads them.