Original Item: Only One Available. The Springfield Model 1812 Musket was a .69 caliber, flintlock musket designed and manufactured by the Springfield Armory. In the years after the War of 1812, due to deficiencies perceived in the model 1795, the U.S. wanted them quickly replaced, and so also contracted out various orders to gun manufacturers of the time. This example however was made at the Government arsenal in Springfield Massachusetts.

The flat lock plate is marked with the correct U.S. over a faint Federal Eagle, with SPRINGFIELD in an arc below. The lock plate tail is marked clearly with the date 1814, and testing the lock shows that it holds correctly at half cock, firing at full. It can however take some effort to get the hammer to full cock. The barrel breech area only has minor powder burn, and still bears the original P over an Eagle's Head over V, the standard proof marks of the time, first instituted in 1799, replacing the earlier "Liberty Cap" marking. There is also  COMP / I marked on the right side of the butt stock, indicating it was issued to Company 1 of whichever unit it was in service with. There are also some faint markings on the left side of the stock to the rear of the side plate.

The musket measures 59 1/2 inches in overall length, with a barrel 44 1/2 inches long, and comes complete with the original ramrod. This is a bit longer than usually seen, however this early in production there was significant variance in the length and specifications. The bore is closer to .75" than to .69", but we do not know if this was originally made this way, or whether it was worn or bored out later.

This example has been fully cleaned and put into excellent display condition. The metalwork has a really nice patina, and the wood stock is in great shape with a very nice color. There are some cracks in the stock on the left side near the lock side plate, which run to the trigger guard. There is also some cracking around the edges of the lock plate.

A U.S. Flintlock Musket that can fit into any advance U.S. Martial Collection in just lovely condition and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1814
Caliber: originally .69" - now about .75"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 44 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 59 1/2 Inches
Action type: Side Action Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

History of the Model 1812 Musket:

The War of 1812 revealed many weaknesses in the earlier Model 1795 Musket. The Model 1812 was an attempt to improve both the design and manufacturing process of the musket. The design borrowed heavily from the French Charleville model 1777 musket. The Springfield Model 1812 musket arrived too late to be of use in the War of 1812 but would later become standard issue to regular infantry and militia units.

The Model 1812 was a .69 caliber smoothbore musket, with a 42-inch (107 cm) barrel and a 54-inch (137 cm) stock, and a total length of 57-inch (145 cm). The Model 1812 was produced only at Springfield: the M1795 would continue in production at Harpers Ferry into 1818.

The Model 1812 was produced in a quantity of almost 30,000 between the years 1814 and 1816. It was replaced by the Model 1816 Musket. However, the Model 1812 remained in service for many years, and was even used in the American Civil War, mostly by the Confederate forces. By the start of the Civil war, the weapon was considered to be old and obsolete but was needed to fill arms shortages.

Some Model 1812 muskets were later converted to percussion lock firing mechanisms. The percussion cap system was much more reliable and weatherproof than the flintlock system used on the Model 1812 in its original configuration.

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