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The 1696 Fusil Ordinaire or common musket first appeared in the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715). The first mention of flintlock fusils in Canada was in 1660 when there was quite a quantity at Fort Saint-Louis in Quebec city, again in 1665 when the Carignan-Sailors Regiment arrived in Canada, and again in 1684 when Governer De La Barre received 500 fusils and two hundred belt pistols for a campaign against the Iriquois. We are calling this musket the Model 1696 as this is the first dateable contract that could be located on them from Tulle, which opened in 1691, but there is an official payment to Tulle in 1694 of 8, 700 Livres for fusils. The 1690’s contracts that have been located for these guns only specified standard muskets with certain barrel lengths so these same guns were already in use for quite a while, previous to the contract dates we have here. Especially when you remember that St. Eteinne was the prime contractor before Tulle was in business, and there is a nice 1680’s St. Eteinne example in the Naval Museum in Paris that the Tulle patterns follow very closely. According to Mr. Russel Bouchard the Tulle contracts provided in November 1696 for a 45" barrel and in November 1697 for a 44" barrel. There is no mention of stock design or shape in any of the French Contracts from 1691 until 1763, so even this stock design must have been around awhile. Common muskets did not have sling rings or metal nose bands on the stocks. Most 1696 marine muskets did not have the stocks shortened for a socket bayonet and were still using plug bayonets. However, according to Erik Goldstien, the first appearance of Tulle muskets with socket bayonets was in 1694 that were supplied to the Marine Guards at the Port of Brest and there is a November 7 contract of 1697 to Tulle for 250 muskets with socket bayonets. By shortening the tip of the forearm 3" to take the socket bayonet this musket would conform to the 1697 contract. The 1695-96 French muskets have full carving around the tang and lock panels. We have reproduced the carving on our stocks. The barrels are a 44 1/2", octagon to round with wedding bands and available in .69 caliber. The lock plate measures 6 5/16" x 1 1/8". The throw of the cock is 1 13/16". Notice how the stock swells out a little before coming into the butt plate.
*Included in a Set of Lock Castings. |
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We stock many items, but each item is custom cast or made by us to the exact specifications of the originals parts, we have copied. Due to the investment casting process which we use there are sometimes delays due to this process which in turn requires patience from our customers, the average delivery time on our parts is between 60 and 90 days, if the parts you order are not in stock. We assure you that the quality of our parts is well worth any wait, as many of the items we make have never been offered by anyone before. If you are serious about the authenticity of your weapon then the time will be a small price to pay. Many of the pictures shown on this web site are of original pieces. We do not sell any original pieces on this web site only reproduction's of the original parts we have copied. If the item description does not say assembled then you are buying the castings of that particular item. To see the difference between an assembled lock and a set of lock castings please click the button below.
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trshoppe@therifleshoppe.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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18420 E. Hefner Road ~
Jones, Oklahoma 73049 ~ (405) 396-2583 Tel
~ (405) 396-8450 Fax 
