It was a Brown Bess, probably of the Company's Pattern as evinced by the lock plate. In time it was no longer needed by the Company and was probably broken up into parts. The brass sold or for remelt. The stock probably unfit for use but the barrel and lock were in adequate order. By the 1860's the Company had been replaced by the East India Government and they had no use for the Company arms being determined to use Ordnance Pattern arms. At the same time the Maharajah of Jaipur was updating his countries industries. In particular he had a first class armoury with skilled gun smiths so he bought in the steel parts being sold off by the Government.
In the Jaipur Armoury the Bess barrel had a new nipple lump forged and brazed to the barrel. Much as the East India Company had with it's Type A and B muskets. The Company marked flintlock was modified to percussion with a new hammer etc. and the two fitted together in a new hardwood stock. The Pattern 1853 Rifle Musket was the new 'cool' weapon of the era in India and the Jaipur Armoury patterned new brass furniture on the Pattern 1853 shape and this all formed a new Jaipur Pattern Percussion Musket of about 1860. Made with sound workmanship and well finished.
These first began appearing in the antique markets in the 1970's when Westley Richards bought a huge lot of them from the Jaipur Armoury. They were not alone in buying up the contents of Indian armouries and some dubious attributions made in the trade brought these types of weapons into disrepute as fake Tower guns.
(HEIC = Honorable East India Company)
Detail and pictures from the seller who is a friend of mine.
