Original item: One of a Kind. Over the years, IMA has purchased many collections and groups of antique guns, in which case we need to take all of them, as we did in Nepal. While these collections were generally full of guns that relatively good condition, they also had some that were less complete and unfortunately would take more restoration time than we were able to give them. We kept them in storage, possibly for future products, but have now decided to offer these "As Found" antique firearms to our customers as restoration projects. These are all original and as we received them, except for cleaning the dirt and grime off the exterior.

Please note that these are still real antique guns, and are being sold in "As is" condition at a significant discount from what they would sell at if we were to fully restore them. We will do our best to photograph and describe them and know that our customers will know exactly what they are getting. Some of these, such as this example, look to have possibly been project or parts guns, and are missing a significant amount of parts. These are being sold in "Grade 2" condition, and on these ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

This is very unusual and interesting, being both rifled and in such nice condition. This started life as a French M-1822 Flintlock Musket, made at the Government Arsenal in Maubeuge, Northern France. This was one of the last flintlock models put into service. In the years since it was produced, it was both converted to percussion, rifled, and then subsequently cut down. It also very interestingly has a lock that still has the flash pan, frizzen, and other external components STILL INSTALLED. We do not know if the lock was swapped out and the hammer replaced, or whether when converted they simply elected to leave the parts on.

There are many markings on the barrel breech, including a clear 1834 date on the right side, along with 2974 on the left side, most likely a serial or inventory numbers. There are also some faded proof marks as well, and Cde 18 for an 18mm bore, which is approximately .70". It is also marked Mle 822 T on the barrel tang behind the rear sight, for the model and the "T" indicates a percussion "transformation". There is also the word bis (again) behind the tang screw indicating another "transformation", in this case the addition of rifling to the barrel.

The rifled musket is fully steel mounted and bears a faint maker marking on the lock plate of Maubeuge / Manuf. N., for manufacture at the government arsenal located in Maubeuge, France, today along the Northern border with Belgium. Differing from the Brown Bess not only using all steel mounts the barrel is secured by three-barrel bands and not pins.

Condition Notes:
- Overall condition shows significant oxidation and pitting on the metalwork.
- Lock is fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full.
- Musket has been shortened by about 10 inches overall from the muzzle end.
- Nose Cap was partly removed, so there is no front sight.
- Butt Plate is missing and looks like some type of wood filler was used where it used to be.
- Ramrod is present but shortened.

This is very interesting Grade 2 "As Found" example of the many interesting European cast-off weapons that crossed the ocean to serve during the American Civil War, and would be a nice addition to any display of imported arms, having been updated circa 1860. This could also be the start of a great restoration project, or parts for another!

Please make sure to look at all the high resolution (2000x2000) pictures before purchasing, as ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

Year of Manufacture: 1833 - converted later
Caliber: .73" with four roove rifling
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 32 Inches
Overall Length: 47 Inches
Action type: Side Action Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loaded

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.