Original item: One Only. The U.S. Model 1835 Musket was a .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock, with a 42-inch barrel and an overall length of 58 inches. It replaced the previous model 1822 musket, and often is viewed as a further development of that design. It was really only an incremental change, and many differences involved how the musket was produced, rather than the actual design. The emphasis was on making some interchangeable parts, and to use more accurate manufacturing methods. This paved the way for the later model of 1842, the first U.S. musket to have fully interchangeable parts.

The Model 1835 was produced by the Springfield Armory, Harpers Ferry Armory, and numerous other contractors. It was eventually superseded by the model 1840 and 1842 muskets, the former of which was originally made in Flintlock, but most were converted to percussion before they made it to the field. The 1842 was only made in percussion.

In the 1850s, many of the Flintlock Muskets in Arsenal were converted to Percussion, which was a much more reliable and water-resistant ignition system. This involved all variants of the Model of the 1816. This helped to standardize the types of ammunition carried by the soldiers in the field.

Many were altered by Frankford Arsenal with the new Maynard Type primer locks and percussion bolsters made by the Remington Arms Co of New York. Remington Arms contracted with the government between 1856 to 1859 for 20,000 Maynard primer locks and bolsters and delivered all to Philadelphia’s Frankford Arsenal location. These were then fitted to the muskets during conversion, and the bores were rifled during this process. The rear sights were also replaced with ones similar to the Model 1855 Springfield.

The outbreak of the Civil War in the United States created a large need for percussion muskets, as the number of modern firearms currently on hand was far short of what was needed. To fill this need, many muskets converted to percussion in the 1840s-1850s were pressed back into service, such as this example.

This very interesting rifle began life as a Springfield Model 1835 Musket, most likely produced at either Springfield or Harpers Ferry. It could possibly be an 1822 model, but the barrels on those were usually not suitable for conversion to a rifled bore. The Maynard tape primer lock was one of the 20,000 produced by the Remington Arms Co., as indicated by faint markings on the tail of the lock plate:

We had to use a magnifying glass to read these, and the last number of the date is unfortunately too faint to read. The lock functions correctly, holding at half cock and firing at full. The tape primer system is complete, and still advances the pawl when the hammer is cocked, though we do not know if it would still feed the primer. The door is present and opens, however the hinge and catch are worn, so it will open without being unlatched. There is no visible date on the barrel tang due to wear, and there are some faded inspection stamps on the left side of the stock. The barrel is fitted with the standard ramp sight of the model 1855, which looks to have had the ladder and slider replaced, and is fully functional. 

The musket's mounts are all of iron and have a lovely oxidized patina over most parts. The butt plate shows some more advanced scale rust, which is somewhat common, as it was often left in contact with the ground for long periods of time. There is a good amount of powder burn around the original cap nipple on the barrel, so this musket did see significant service once converted to percussion. It is very possible that it saw service throughout the Civil War, as many of these were still in the national arsenals at the start of the conflict. The original ramrod is still present, which looks to be a 1835 style, and both sling swivels are present, however the trigger guard swivel is seized. We checked the bore, and the three groove rifling is still visible, showing wear, oxidation, and fouling consistent with long service.

The one piece walnut stock is in good condition, showing a lovely dark brown color, only achieved after decades, or in this case, centuries of age. It has the expected dents and dings from service, and there is an area on the left side of the butt stock that almost looks like it was hit with a rock or was rubbing against some rough surface for a long period of time, which has left a rough hole in the stock. This was left intact, as it is part of the history of the gun, as is the H W inscribed above the hole. It also looks like a wooden dowel was used to plug a hole through the middle of the butt stock. Definitely some interesting history to this well-patinated musket!

A very nice example of a typical U.S. musket that was given new life by later modification. Many soldiers during the civil war were armed with this exact type of rifled musket. A lovely well-patinated example with a long history, ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1830 - converted 1850s
Caliber: .69" Rifled
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 42 Inches
Overall Length: 57 3/4 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock with Tape Primer
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

History of the Model 1835 Musket:

The War of 1812 had revealed many weaknesses in American muskets. The Model 1812 Musket was created in an attempt to improve both the design and manufacture of the musket. The Model 1816 made further improvements, and replaced the Model 1812. The Model 1812 had borrowed heavily from the design of the French Charleville model 1777 musket, and this design was retained for the Model 1816. The Model 1816 had a 42 inch long .69 caliber smoothbore barrel, similar to the Model 1812, but had a longer lock plate, a shorter trigger guard, and a longer bayonet than the Model 1812. The Model 1816 also had a more straight lined stock. The overall length of the weapon was 58 inches.

The Model 1816 musket was originally produced at the Harpers Ferry and Springfield Arsenals between 1816 and 1844. Around 675,000 were made, more than any other flintlock in U.S. history.

The Model 1816 was originally produced as a flintlock musket. Like many flintlock muskets, many of these were later converted to percussion cap, as the percussion cap system was much more reliable and weather resistant.

This model of Springfield musket was used by Texans during the Texas Revolution and by the US Army and militia during the Mexican-American War. During this conflict, the flintlock version of the Model 1816 was preferred by U.S. regular forces, due to percussion cap supply concerns. It was also used during the early years of the American Civil War until around 1862.

Many improvements to the Model 1816 were made, producing the Model 1822, Model 1835, Model 1840, and Model 1842. U.S. Ordnance Department referred to these as different models, but in other U.S. government documents they are referred to as a continuation of the Model 1816. Modern histories are similarly inconsistent in the nomenclature of these weapons, often referring to them as "Type 2" and "Type 3" versions of the M1816.

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