Original item: Only One Available. This is a very romantic U.S. musket, discovered in the wall of a North Carolina Barn during expansion to a building in KITTY HAWK. This original and complete flintlock musket has seen use and then was "walled up" possibly for over 100 years awaiting later discovery. The whole musket has quietly deteriorated over a very long period. Frankly it is now in need of very tender care and restoration, this is a treasure well worth the effort.

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 It was eventually superseded by the model 1840 and 1842 muskets, the former of which was originally made in Flintlock, but most were converted to percussion before they made it to the field.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.

Later, 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 example however escape conversion during those times, and is offered in the original flintlock configuration. It looks to have seen long service, possibly long after it was made obsolete by the introduction of the percussion model 1842. This has given it a well-worn look that is simply impossible to duplicate. We received it in this "attic found" condition, and only gave it a quick wipe down to leave the history intact.

It has the correct Federal EAGLE / U.S. in front of the hammer, and was produced at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry itself, as indicated on the lock plate tail:

HARPERS
FERRY
1838

The rifle 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 faint V / P proof marks visible, while the "Eagle's Head" has worn away. There are also traces of a date on the barrel tang, which looks to possibly be "1841".

There is a lovely aged patina on most of the metalwork, with some pitting near the flash pan due to powder burn. The lock functions, holding correctly at half cock, and firing at full. The bore was not rifled on this musket, and it shows much fouling and oxidation on the interior. The muzzle exterior of the barrel also has a lot of pitting, possibly from having a bayonet fitted for a long time. Both sling swivels are present, though rust frozen, and the cleaning rod is still present.

The stock shows much age and wear, just like the metalwork. There are some cracks on the left side by the lock screws, along with traces of the original inspection cartouches. There is also a crack under the lock that runs to the other side by the side plate, which does show some movement. The buttstock shows a lot of degradation near the butt plate, which has pit an scale rust from water exposure. The fore stock is in better shape, showing less wear, and it still has a more reddish brown color

A very nice well used example of an unconverted mid 19th century U.S. Flintlock Musket, found in a barn wall and untouched for many years. This would find a home in any U.S. martial collection. Ready to restore or display as is!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1838
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

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.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.