Original item: Only One Available. 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 It was eventually superseded by the model 1840 and 1842 muskets, the former of which was originally made in Flintlock, but most were converted to percussion before they made it to the field.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. The easiest conversion type, often referred to as the “Belgian” style conversion, was to simply tap a threaded hole in the top of the breach of the barrel to permit the fitting of a percussion cone (aka “nipple”).

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.

This is almost certainly what happened with this musket, which was converted to percussion at arsenal some time before the Civil War. The mounting points for the frizzen and frizzen spring can still be seen, though they are plugged, and the remains of the brass powder pan are still visible on the lock plate. The hammer is a 1842 type, machine made and slightly adjusted for the different cap location. It has the correct 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
1838

The side plate is bulged and not thin, typical of the Model 1835 Musket. Later iterations would move to a side plate without any bulge in the middle. The barrel nocks form still has P / Eagle's Head / V proof marks visible, with a clear 1838 date on the barrel tang.

The musket’s barrel has been shortened by roughly 5 ¼ inches, from 42” to 36 ¾”. This may have been done for several reasons, including the barrel being blown out or damaged. There is still a small bump under the end of the barrel for affixation of a socket bayonet. 

The musket overall is really in great condition, and has a lovely browned patina on all the metalwork, without any major corrosion or other issues. It looks very similar to the "National Amory Brown" finished used until circa 1832, and looks great. There is a bit of powder burn oxidation near the cap nipple, though that may be from before conversion, as the nipple cone itself is in great shape. This musket does not appear to have been used very much after its conversion. The lock functions very well, holding correctly at half cock, and firing at full. The bore was not rifled on this musket, and it shows moderate fouling and oxidation on the interior.

The stock is in really nice condition, with a lovely brown finish and the normal scuffs, dings, dents and other damage from storage. Just a really nice example. The cleaning rod is no longer present on this example, but both sling swivels are still retained. There is a great ovular cartouche reading JW for John Williamson Capt., U.S. Army, who inspected from 1838-1849. There are also other inspector marks such as ABC on the trigger guard. The letters D.T. have been carved into the stock opposite the lock. The buttplate is marked US and stamped 10 / 16 / O.A.B., markings we are unsure of the meaning of.

A great example of an older musket converted for service in the 1850s, and almost certainly used during the Civil War. Ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1838 - converted later
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 36¾ inches
Overall Length: 52¼ Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
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.

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