Original item: One of a Kind. Now this is something we do not see every day! This is a very early American Flintlock Musket, produced for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The states were responsible for maintaining their own stocks of arms for their militias, so at the very end of the 18th Century, Pennsylvania started to have these rifles produced, often with parts supplied by the National Armories.

Pennsylvania acted in 1797 to procure 20,000 muskets on its own and offered contracts for 10,000 that could be imported and another 10,000 to be produced in the U.S., all of the Charleville pattern in .69 caliber, which had proven itself in the Revolution. Much like the Springfield Model of 1795, the PA Model 1797 is based heavily on the Charleville musket, Model 1763/66, which had been imported in large numbers from the French during the American Revolution. In the years following the war in the 1790s, French muskets comprised the largest number of muskets in U.S. arsenals at about 20,000 muskets.

John Miles of Philadelphia County signed a contract for 2,000 muskets on Sept. 3, 1798, indenturing a piece of real estate in the Northern Liberties to cover an advance of $600 offered on the contract. Later, as tensions continued to rise, the British government voided contracts with the Ketland Company for 10,000 imported muskets, Pennsylvania issued a second round of contracts to make up for the shortfall, and Miles received a second contract for another 2,000 muskets in April 1801.

This is a very nice example of a musket from Mile's second contract, correctly marked MILES / PHIL'ADA over CP, for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The musket is in very good condition, especially considering the age, and has a great look, having been carefully cleaned and polished over many years. There is a P in an oval proof on the breech end of the barrel, correct for this time period, as the "Liberty Cap" had been deprecated in 1799 in favor of other markings.

The musket's mounts are all of iron and all show a lovely bright steel polished patina from over a century of careful cleaning. There is very little in the way of powder burn near the touch hole on the barrel, though there is some on the flash pan and lock, so this musket did see some level of service, but not very much. The ramrod is still present, and definitely looks to be original. The lock is fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full.

The stock is in lovely condition, looking to have been oiled and varnished over the many years this musket has been cared for. There is actually some age checking visible in areas where it has started to degrade. As with many we see, there is some cracking around the rear of the lock plate, as the firing action of the lock can put stress on the lock inlet. It looks like a chunk broke off and two iron pins / nails were used a very long time ago to secure it. There is also a stress crack running forward from the front of the lock plate. There are no proof markings on the stock, but we can see what looks to be WESTPHAL stamped into the left side of the stock over the trigger guard, which may be for Carl Westphal.

A very nice example of a very early American State Issued military musket, only the third that we have ever had. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: circa 1801
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 44Inches
Overall Length: 59 Inches
Action type: Side Action Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

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.