Original U.S. Civil War Springfield Model 1795 / 1808 Musket with Confederate Style Percussion Conversion - Dated 1817

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a scarce early Civil War Confederate Style Percussion Conversion made from a .69 Caliber, smoothbore Pattern 1808 Flintlock Musket. The 1808 muskets are essentially an exact copy of the Springfield Model 1795, which in turn was merely a copy of the French Model 1777 Charleville. With the 1795 being truly the first officially adopted, and manufactured service long arm, these are an incredibly historic and important piece of United States small arms history, and a true “must have” for one looking to assemble a collection highlighting the lineage of American small arms. Most of these were made by contractors, however this example was made at Springfield, and was made outside of the usual time period we see these from, which definitely makes it an interesting example. It has the correct flat lock plate and separate bolster for the lower sling swivel, even though it was made after the Model 1812 and 1816 were released.

This musket features a textbook Confederate style conversion to a percussion ignition system. In the early days of the Civil War, the south scrambled to outfit large numbers of troops in short order. As many southern arsenals housed rather antiquated and obsolete arms, the south was at a clear disadvantage compared to the well-armed armies of the Union forces. Confederate arsenals, and many small contracted cottage-industry style gunshops were charged with updating many of these obsolete arms. The quality of the conversions ranged from crude to rather well done. Some unfortunate Confederate troops went into battle with obsolete flintlock muskets as late as 1862! This particular conversion features a “drum” style cylindrical conversion bolster, which is relatively crude, and a "High Spur" hammer, also of relatively crude manufacturing. This is definitely way below the level of craftsmanship we see on contractor and national armory level conversions.

This very nice example was originally manufactured at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield itself in 1817, as indicated by markings on the tail of the lock plate:

SPRING
FIELD
1817

There is also an EAGLE over a script U.S. on the lock plate in front of the hammer, the standard marking seen on these locks. The side of the barrel nocks form is marked P / Eagle's Head / V, the standard Springfield Armory proof mark in of the era and later, first instituted in 1799, replacing the earlier "Liberty Cap" marking. The barrel tang is dated clearly with 181, with the last number worn away. There are traces of cartouches stamped into the left side of the stock behind the lower lock screw, however we cannot make out anything accurately.

Condition is very good, considering the age, and extensive service life this musket had. The metal has achieved a rich mottled patina over the years. Original Band springs are in place with the original spring retainers. Both sling swivels are present and move easily, though the original ramrod is unfortunately missing. We checked the lock, and it is fully functional, holding correctly at half cock and firing only at full, though it requires a VERY strong trigger pull. The stock looks to have been cleaned and waxed over the years, and display the fantastic red brown color of old oiled walnut. The stock, naturally, exhibits dings, and slight damage, as expected with a heavily used service arm. For being almost 210 years old, this is in surprisingly good condition.

A great collector's opportunity! Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1819
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Cap & Ball
Barrel Length: 41 3/4 Inches
Overall Length: 57 1/2 Inches
Action type: Side Action Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loaded

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