Original item: One of a Kind. Now this is something we do not see every day! This is a very early American Flintlock Musket, made very much in the style of the Model 1795 patterned not long after the end of the U.S. Revolution. At the time the Arsenal and Armory at Springfield was still relatively small, so due to this there were often contracts issued for this and later muskets. One of the largest contractors for these was Eli Whitney, however there were also many smaller contracts issued.

This is a lovely example of a 1798 Contract musket made by Joseph Clark and Abijah Peck of Danbury, Connecticut. It features the correct flat lock plate with a pointed tail, and is stamped with only DANBURY at the bottom under the flash pan. Clark and Peck are documented as having supplied contract arms between 1799-1801 and delivered at least 804 examples to the stores at Springfield, per U.S. Military Flintlock Muskets and Their Bayonets, The Early Years 1790-1815 by Peter A. Schmidt, pp. 166-168.

The barrel is marked with a STAR over D proof mark, which indicates that it is a French barrel, most likely made at Charleville Arsenal. It is not clear if these were used as original manufacture, or whether the barrel was replaced, but other examples have been seen with this marking. At the time there were still many French muskets on hand, left over from the war, so it is possible that they were spare parts already on hand. Definitely some interesting research possibilities here!

The musket's mounts are all of iron, as is correct for the pattern. The metalwork overall has a lovely oxidized look, with no signs of major cleaning or restoration over the years. This is just how we like to find them: nice and honest with out having been subjected to massive amounts of 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 functional, however the internals are worn, so it will fire at both full and half cock.

The stock is in lovely condition, looking to have been oiled and varnished over the many years this musket has been cared for. 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. There are no proof markings on the stock, but there is a 1776 scratched into the left side of the stock for some reason.

A very nice example of a very early American contract military musket, only one of a few that we have ever had, and the only example by this rare maker. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: circa 1799-1801
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 42 ¼ Inches
Overall Length: 57 ¼ Inches
Action type: Side Action Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

History of the Model 1795 Musket:

The Model 1795 was the first musket to be produced in the United States by Springfield and Harper's Ferry Arsenals, as well as contractor Eli Whitney. It was based heavily on the Charleville musket, Model 1763/66, which had been imported in large numbers from the French during the American Revolution, and which at the time comprised the largest number of muskets in U.S. arsenals at about 20,000 muskets. The Model 1795 was used in the War of 1812, after which shortcomings in both the design and manufacturing process of the Model 1795 led to the development of the Model 1812 Musket at Springfield only, and eventually the Model 1816 Musket muskets at both armories.

The Model 1795 a very elongated musket, retained many of the characteristics of the Charleville on which it was based. It had a 44 inches (110 cm) long .69 caliber barrel, a 56 inches (140 cm) stock, and a total length of 60 inches (150 cm). The original version had the bayonet lug on the bottom of the barrel but this was later moved to the top. Minor changes were made throughout production inclusive of a shorter barrel length of 42 inches (110 cm) on the later Harper's Ferry weapons. Barrels of Harper's Ferry 1795s were serial numbered up to some point in 1812: Springfield Model 1795's were never serial numbered. Springfield began the Model 1812 improvements in 1814, but Harper's Ferry continued on with the production of the Model 1795 until at least 1819 (early 1819 examples still used the M1795 lockplate) and never produced the Model 1812. Eventually, both armories incorporated improvements into the Model 1816 flintlock which were after a few years virtually identical. Most, but not all, parts will interchange on the Model 1816 muskets but the hand-crafted parts, and lack of set standards and patterns on the earlier Model 1795 weapons often means parts will not interchange easily.

Typical of smoothbore muskets, the M1795 had an effective range of about 50 yards (46 m) to 75 yards (69 m). The Model 1795 fired a smaller round than the British .75 caliber Brown Bess, but the Model 1795 also had both a slightly longer range and slightly better accuracy than the Brown Bess musket. This gave the American forces an advantage of range when they faced British forces in the War of 1812.

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.

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