Original item: One Only. The US Model 1840 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 1840 was mainly an incremental improvement over the earlier model 1835. The main differences were a buttstock with a comb top, and also a thicker walled barrel. It was foreseen that eventually many of these muskets would be converted to Rifled Muskets, so the models 1840 and 1842 featured these barrels. 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. This example looks to have escaped conversion just after production, and was used as a flintlock for some time. This makes it a very late production example, made after the changes were officially in progress.

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, which 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”). That is exactly what happened with this lovely patinated example.

The lock is marked with the correct American "Federal Eagle" / U.S. under 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
1841

The remains of the brass flash pan are still present on the lock plate, slightly protruding above the level of the plate, so this does not look to have been a federal arsenal conversion, more likely one done at a state armory, or possibly even in the South. The rifle side plate is thin and not bulged, as typical of the Model 1840 Musket. Previous iterations had had a more pronounced side plate with a bulge in the middle. The barrel breech is proof marked with a faint  V / P / Eagle, and the tang of the barrel is dated 1841. There are no oval cartouches on the left side of the stock, but there is a V over J.A.S., and some other markings.

All iron mounts this .69 caliber musket is in very good service used condition, showing a fantastic patina of age. It still has the original ramrod present with intact threading on the end, along with both sling swivels, which still move. The finish was most likely originally "browned", which is still well retained, with some small areas of peppered oxidation. There is a good amount of powder burn near the cap nipple cone, which is itself corroded, so this musket did see a fair amount of use after conversion. The channel in the cone is still open, and the bore is actually in very good condition, showing overall surface oxidation but no major rust scaling.

The lock is fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full, and the main spring is still quite strong.. The stock is in very good condition as well, with the lovely brown color of oiled aged walnut. There are the expected dents and dings from service and storage, but no major issues or repairs we can see. There is some staining near the butt plate due to possible water and rust exposure.

A lovely patinated example that could have seen Civil War service on either side!  Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1842
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 42 Inches
Overall Length: 57 1/2 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

History of the Model 1840 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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