Original item: One Only. The US Model 1842 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 1842 was the last U.S. smoothbore musket produced. Many features that had been retrofitted into the Model 1840 were standard on the Model 1842. 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. The percussion cap system was vastly superior to the flintlock, being much more reliable and much more resistant to weather.

The Models 1840 & 1842 were made with thicker barrel walls, with the intention that they could be rifled later, and this example now has wide three groove rifling, correct for those converted at arsenal. It looks to have seen long use, with a peppery oxidized patina over the metalwork, and the stock has been completely replaced, easily noticeable as their are no band springs or inlets for them. This means that all of the bands stay in place by pressure only, but due to the stock being a replacement, they are fit quite tightly. The lock plate is marked with the correct American "Federal Eagle" / U.S. under of the hammer, however the marks on the tail of the lock plate indicating which arsenal it was made at are completely missing. We tried to compare the eagle with other examples to possibly find a correlation, however both Springfield and Harpers Ferry used several different eagles over the production run.

The rifle side plate is thin and not bulged, as typical of the Model 1842 Musket. Previous iterations had had a more pronounced side plate with a bulge in the middle. This musket looks to have seen moderate to heavy service during the war, resulting in powder burn on the barrel breech that has removed all of the original markings. As the stock is replaced, there are not any cartouches present.

With all iron mounts this .69 caliber rifled musket features metalwork in very nice patinated condition, though the ramrod under the barrel looks to be a period replacement. The butt plate "US" marking has been worn off and while the trigger guard sling swivel is still present, the one on the lower barrel band is missing. The lock still functions correctly, holding correctly at half cock and firing at full. We checked the bore, and the three groove rifling is readily apparent, showing light past fouling and oxidation overall, which looks to have been cleaned away. The replacement stock is lovely, with a wonderful finish. Really a great looking old musket that would look fantastic hanging on the wall.

A lovely re-stocked example of the of the first U.S. Musket made with the intention of being rifled, which was later rifled and probably saw service during the Civil War, ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1842-1854
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

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.

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.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

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.