Short Musket, East India Company
date: label: Date made
content: 1779
label: associated date
content: 1779
name: label: associated institution
content: East India Company
label: maker
content: Griffin & Tow
notes: label: Description
content: This short musket was manufactured by Griffin and Tow in 1779 for the British East India Company. Started in 1600, the publicly-owned firm traded with the East Indies, China and India until the late 19th century. EIC merchant vessels were prime targets for American privateers, because of the large and valuable cargoes they transported worldwide.
label: Description
content: This musket is an 80-cal. Brown Bess flintlock, with a short 39-in. barrel instead of the standard 46- or 42-in. barrels. Bearing the East India Company emblem, it was a perfect short-range firearm for a fighting privateer. Guns fired at close quarters, like on the decks of an enemy vessel, did not require the accuracy provided by longer barrels. Short-barreled guns also were quicker and easier to point in hand-to-hand combat.
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England
topic: label: related event
content: Revolution and the New Nation
label: related event
content: Expansion and Reform
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
label: Exhibition
content: On the Water
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Bequest of Charles Bremner Hogg Jackson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1980.0399.0822
label: collector/donor number
content: SA049
label: catalog number
content: 1980.0399.0822
label: accession number
content: 1980.0399
objectType: label: Object Name
content: musket
label: Other Terms
content: musket; Firearms; Flintlock; .80 In; Smooth Bore; Muzzle Load; Sa
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 in x 53 1/2 in x 3 in; 15.24 cm x 135.89 cm x 7.62 cm