Original item: One Only. The U.S. Model 1816 Musket was a .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock, with a 42-inch barrel and an overall length of 58 inches. It replaced the previous model 1812 musket, and often is viewed as a further development of that design. Like the Model 1812, the Model 1816 borrowed heavily from the design of the French Charleville model 1777 musket, 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 Model 1816 was produced by the Springfield Armory, Harpers Ferry Armory, and numerous other contractors, such as M.T. Wickham. It was eventually replaced by the Springfield Model 1822, which is also considered by many to be a continuation of the Model 1816. These were sometimes referred to as "Whitney Flintlocks" due to the large number made in New Haven, Connecticut by Eli Whitney.

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. This example looks to have been returned to a state or federal arsenal some point, and had the lock converted to a percussion lock, and the breech of the barrel removed, with a breech plug with a built in cap bolster installed. This is very similar to the conversions done just before the start of the Civil War by companies such as Henry E. Leman of Lancaster PA, Hewes and Phillips of Newark, NJ, and others. Unfortunately there is a large amount of powder burn on the breech area, as the musket saw extensive use after conversion, so any markings that were present have worn away.

The lock is still marked with a faint 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
[1]818

There are no remnants of the brass flash pan and the holes in the lock are plugged, definitely indicating an arsenal or contractor level conversion. As mentioned previously, the markings on the breech of the barrel are completely worn away due to powder burn, and there are not any cartouches visible in the stock either. There are no stock cartouches visible on the left side below the lock screws, though we can see traces of a few stamped markings.

Overall this is a very nice patinated example of a Model 1816 Long Musket, converted to percussion for further use. The stock is in very good condition, showing a lovely dark red brown color, showing light wear from use such as dents and small dings, but no cracks or repairs that we can see. The geometry is still relatively sharp, so we do not see any signs of major cleaning or refinishing. The metalwork shows a lovely gray matte patina from years of cleaning to remove dirt and oxidation peppering. The lock is fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full. The cap nipple cone is quite worn from use, and the cap bolster cleanout is currently rust seized. The sling swivels were replaced by aftermarket ones recently, and there is an original ramrod under the barrel.

A lovely patinated example of an early American Musket, converted to percussion and most likely reissued for use in the Civil War. Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1818
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 41 3/4 Inches
Overall Length: 57 1/2 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

History of the Model 1816 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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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.