Confederate-Altered Model 1766 Charleville Musket (AL5375)

This French Model 1766 Charleville musket was shortened and altered to percussion, most likely by the Confederate governmmet during the Civil War. The overall length is 54.5". THe 39.5" 69 caliber smooth bore barrel has a good bore with the original tooling marks being still visible. All the metal is a smooth dark brown with lighht roughness at the breech. Charleville in script with a crown over D above it are visible on the lock. The musket was altered to percussion by the addition of a drum bolster and the alteration of the otp of the cock from flintlock to a perussion hammer. This is a typical Confederate alteration. The shortened Charleville stock is very good with small chips at the front of the lock and the rear of the barrel tang.  The initials DS are cut in the upper left butt. The middle band was removed at the time of the alteration. The ramrod is present. There are no sling swivels. The action functions properly. This is an interesting example of a gun that was almost certainly Confederate-altered for the Civil War. If this gun could only talk!