This musket is pictured on page 110 of "The History of the Weapons of the American Revolution" by George C. Neumann where it is identified as part of the John C. McMurray Collection and is dated to 1775-1780. This musket and others of the same designs were believed to have been produced for Maryland during the revolution, but more recent research has suggests they were owned by Connecticut. It is of much better quality than many arms used by the Continental Army and American militia, especially early on in the war. It is said that anything with a lock, stock, and barrel that went bang at the appropriate time was rushed into service due to the insufficient number of actual military arms available. Americans would have certainly had some muskets on hand that were used by the militia during the French and Indian War (Seven Years War), but more men were in arms during the Revolution than before and many originally came to fight with worn out fowling pieces not designed for military use and thus not fitted with the necessary bayonet lugs. Once the war began, several provincial gunmakers began production of muskets and rushed them to the patriots often without stamping any maker's markings. This example has a bayonet lug for the standard style of socket bayonet used in the period, brass furniture, sling swivels on the forend and trigger guard, plain exterior of the lock, two unclear stamps below the vent , an "LS" stamp on the underside of the lock, a "PS" stamp on the barrel at the breech, and "8" stamped on the thumb plate. The side plate, trigger guard, thumb plate, and buttplate are all styled after the British Short Land Pattern "Brown Bess." The bore is also the same size as the standard British muskets. The comb and buttstock are very nicely shaped.

Fine overall. The lock and barrel mostly have a gray patina with some light brown patina forming. There are areas of light pitting especially at the muzzle and breech. The lock functions well and has some replacement parts including the mainspring. The brass fittings have an aged patina. The stock has moderate dents and scrapes, a hairline crack on the right side at the forend cap, and some chipping behind the trigger. American made weapons from the fight for independence are rare and few survive in this fine of condition. These weapons were particularly important to the American war effort in the early Revolutionary War prior to the influx of the French muskets!