Model 1777 Artillery Musket - St Etienne

Rare Model 1777 artillery musket.

The lock plate is engraved "St Etienne" and bears the "EL" stamp beneath a crown—the mark of lock inspector Etienne Lambert (who served from 1777 to 1784). Given that the artillery musket was the subject of the regulation of July 18, 1782, and that Etienne Lambert left his post in 1784, this musket was manufactured between 1782 and 1784.

Like many others (including the example in the Army Museum—see Boudriot, *Armes à feu françaises : Modèles réglementaires*), this piece has undergone some later modifications:

            - The barrel has been shortened by 2 cm to accommodate the Model 1777/Year IX bayonet (replacing the original 1763-pattern bayonet, which had a lower-positioned locking ring), resulting in a total length of 128.5 cm instead of 130.5 cm.
            - The double-band middle barrel band has been replaced by a single-band version.

In all other respects, the weapon remains entirely consistent with the original 1777 system: it features a *retroussis* (curved tail) on the battery (frizzen), sling swivels without rosettes, a screw-fastened nose cap, and a barrel that is round at the breech.

All furniture—including the lower band, middle band, nose cap, and side plate—is made of brass. The side plate is marked "N° 14."

This weapon is in its original, untouched condition; it is presented with a Model An IX bayonet, an original sling, and a muzzle plug.