Original U.S. Civil War Era Springfield Model 1842 Percussion Musket by Springfield with Rifled Bore & Long Range Sight - dated 1855

Original item: One Only. The US Model 1842 Musket was a .69 caliber musket manufactured and used in the United States during the 19th Century. It was a continuation of the Model 1816 line of muskets but is generally referred to by its own model number rather than just a variant of the Model 1816. All of these muskets were 58 inches long, with a barrel around 42 inches in length.

The Model 1842 was the last U.S. smoothbore musket produced. Many features that had been retrofitted into the Model 1840 were standard on the Model 1842. The Model 1842 was the first U.S. musket to be produced with a percussion lock, though most of the Model 1840 flintlocks ended up being converted to percussion locks before reaching the field. The percussion cap system was vastly superior to the flintlock, being much more reliable and much more resistant to weather.

The Models 1840 & 1842 were made with thicker barrel walls, with the intention that they could be rifled later, and this VERY late production example has been so modified. It also has had an early pattern Model 1855 style rear sight added, so we assume it was rifled at the arsenal before being deployed, as many produced during the last few years of 1842 production were.

The rifled musket is marked with an "American Eagle" over US, and the lock plate tail is clearly marked SPRING / FIELD / 1855. Many of these muskets were produced under contract, however this example was made at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield itself. The rifle side plate is thin and not bulged, as typical of the Model 1842 Musket. Previous iterations had had a more pronounced side plate with a bulge in the middle. The barrel breech area shows past oxidation and powder burn, now cleaned away, and still has clear original V / P / Eagle's Head markings on the left hand side, with an 1855 date stamped into the barrel tang. There is at least one faded inspection cartouche on the left hand side of the stock, but we were not able to read it. There are also rack numbers stamped into the right side of the butt stock, possibly A / 4 / 41.

With all iron mounts this .69 caliber musket looks to have seen a good amount of service, showing a peppery patina on most of the metalwork, showing that past surface oxidation was cleaned away. The original cap bolster is in very good shape, with what looks to be a period replacement nipple cone installed, showing some very little wear. The lock still functions correctly, holding correctly at half cock and firing at full, and the mechanics have very little in the way of slop. We checked the bore, and it still shows clear three groove rifling, though there is also some fouling and past oxidation, particularly near the muzzle. This rifle almost certainly saw use during the U.S. Civil War.

The musket still has the the original "tulip" shape ramrod present, along with both barrel bands and the nose cap. The butt plate is correctly U.S. marked, however the rear of it is quite oxidized. It still has both sling swivels present, one on the middle barrel band and one on the front of the trigger guard, however the upper swivel is frozen and partly broken away from the bolster.

The stock is in very good condition, with a lovely dark red brown color and original oiled finish. There are no major cracks or other damage present, just the usual wear from service, including small dents, gouges, and so forth. There is a small crack running from the breech to the rear lock screw, which is a very common place for these to occur. There are no repairs that we can see, and overall it looks like a musket that saw long honest service during the war, and was retired afterwards.

A really lovely original example of the last smoothbore percussion musket that the United States fielded, rifled at arsenal and fitted with a long range sight before being deployed. Ready to cherish and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1855
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 42 Inches
Overall Length: 57 3/4 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

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