Valentine's Day Gift Original U.s. Civil War Era Springfield Model 1842 Percussion Musket By Springfield Arsenal With Socket Bayonet - Dated 1844 For A Limited Time [58M930mC]

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, however this example is still in the original smoothbore configuration, and looks to have seen only light use, as the barrel still measures at 0.687" at the muzzle. It displays a nice aged patina overall, with signs of past peppering on the metalwork, having been gently cleaned by our antique gunsmiths. The lock plate is marked with the correct American "Federal Eagle" / U.S. under of the hammer, and was produced at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield itself, as indicated on the lock plate tail:

SPRING
FIELD
1844

Many of these muskets were produced under contract, however this example was made at one of the Federal armories. 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 musket looks to have seen only light firing while in service, as there is only light powder burn surrounding the cap nipple cone bolster. The cone itself is in good shape, showing light oxidation, and the square portion at the bottom is still in good shape. The V / P / Eagle's Head proofs on the left side are still visible, and there is even an 1851 date on the barrel tang, suggesting it may have been swapped out at arsenal long ago.

We can also see some marks on the barrel exterior, suggesting that the breech plug may have been pulled at some time long ago. There are also some very fine letters and numbers scratched into the left facet of the barrel, probably from a collection, which read DL# 3016871 - TEX. We were not able to see any cartouches in the left side of the stock.

With all iron mounts this .69 caliber musket is in very nice condition, showing a nice aged brown oxidized patina in many areas, with just a bit of peppering around the cap nipple cone area. It still retains retaining both barrel bands and the iron nose cap, as well as the correct "tulip" headed ramrod under the barrel. Both sling swivels are present and move easily. The butt plate is correctly U.S. marked, and the lock still functions correctly, holding correctly at half cock and firing at full. We checked the bore, and it is still smoothbore, and was not rifled later, as many were, and looks to have seen only light use, with very little fouling and oxidation present.

The walnut stock has a lovely dark red brown color, having been gently cleaned to bring out the grain. There are the expected dents, dings, and other minor damage from service, but no major cracks or repairs. Really a great stock that has stood the test of time beautifully.

The included socket bayonet on this example is in very good shape, and fits great on the muzzle of the rifle, locking into place securely. It shows some past peppering and oxidation, but that was cleaned away, and now it shows a lovely dark gray mottled patina. The tip does look to have been reshaped, probably to reduce the length so that the overall length with the bayonet installed was closer to Civil War era muskets. The U.S. stamp on the ricasso is still present, making this a really nice example.

A very nice example of the last smoothbore percussion musket that the United States fielded, still in the original configuration and complete with an original bayonet. Ready to display!

Specifications (Musket):-

Year of Manufacture: 1844
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

Specifications (Bayonet):-

Blade Length: 15"
Blade Style: Triangular
Socket Length: 2 5/8"
Overall length: 17 1/2” 

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