Original U.S. Civil War Era Springfield Model 1842 Percussion Musket by Springfield Armory with Excellent Bore - dated 1850

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 lovely example is still in the original smoothbore configuration. It is marked with an "American Eagle" over US, and the lock plate tail is clearly marked SPRING / FIELD / 1850. 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 only light oxidation, and still has crisp original V / P / Eagle's Head markings on the left hand side, with an 1850 date stamped into the barrel tang. We were not able to see any inspector cartouches on the left hand side of the stock.

With all iron mounts this .69 caliber musket looks to have seen a good amount of service, but not much actual use. We checked the bore, and it is one of the best that we have ever seen, still bright and shiny with just a bit of light fouling and oxidation near the muzzle. It is very possible that it was never fired after the original arsenal proving. It's ALL ORIGINAL, and shows a lovely polished patina of age. It 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. It still has both sling swivels present, one on the middle barrel band and one on the front of the trigger guard, both moving freely.

The original cap bolster is in very good shape, with what looks to be the original nipple cone installed, showing some 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. The metalwork overall has an oxidized patina from years of gentle care, showing overall light peppering that was later cleaned away, possibly several times. The stock is in very good condition, with a lovely dark red brown color and original oiled finish. There are some repairs on the underside of the fore stock, and it was most likely refinished at some point, but it really has a great color and look.

A really lovely original example of the last smoothbore percussion musket that the United States fielded, still in the original smoothbore configuration with a great bore. Ready to cherish and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1850
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 42 Inches
Overall Length: 58 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

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