Have to weigh in on the firearms you are reviewing, understanding your initial questions were about swords and dirks. Those questions have been answered I believe. Incidentally the GGG regimental sword is a good choice but, as Luke said it should be a back sword, which was what was issued to the privates. This sword is mild steel so keep that in mind.

As far as pistols, the Murdoch is the wrong choice for more than one reason. The only two pistols that were actually issued to the Highland Regiments were, as far as I know, the John Waters produced pistol, made in London and the Isaac Bissell pistol from Birmingham. MVT provides a copy of the Bissell, which is a better choice from an aesthetic standpoint. However, as Orvis points out, the quality of these guns is suspect. They are made in India and no, they are not proofed. Further, I would not fire a proof load in one of them for a million dollars! I have one of the Murdochs which I got from MVT and no powder has ever gone down the barrel. It is a wall hanger. The best thing would be, if you can find one, a Waters pistol. These guns were made in Italy and England, prior to the Bi-centennial and afterward. They may still be made, I do not know. I have one. The pistol, if it were not for the Italian proofs and maker’s name, would visually pass muster as an original. However, the stock is cast when the originals were hammered out of thin sheets of bronze over a mandrel. The lock is a Highland lock, like the original and works well. The lock on my Murdoch has a very heavy mainspring and eats flints. It does not spark well and the half cock notch is in the wrong location - I cannot close the priming pan all the way with the lock at half cock. All this is moot, however, if your regiment has a requirement that you be armed otherwise.

One clarification to Luke’s post regarding firearms. The term carbine in that era referred to a shorter and lighter musket, of a smaller caliber than the Long Land Pattern, i.e. Brown Bess. These muskets were not short, like we think of carbines these days but they were shorter. Few of them were rifled but at one point, the best marksmen in the Black Watch were issued rifled carbines.

Hope this helps. The F&I War is a fascinating subject.