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 first contract, correctly marked MILES over CP, for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The musket is in very good condition, especially considering the age, and has a great look, a real "sleeper". There are some faded arsenal markings on the breech end of the barrel, but they are faded and look to have been rack numbers or something similar.

The musket's mounts are all of iron and the iron lock plate shows old rust speckling, which actually is not bad at all. There is some powder burn and surface oxidation near the touch hole, as expected for any musket that saw service. The ramrod is still present, and definitely looks to be original. The lock functions, however the internals are worn, so it does not hold at half cock. The stock does show some cracking around the lock and breech area, and there is a glued and pinned repair to the rear right of the barrel tang. The wood is now dark from years of age and polishing, giving it a fantastic patina.

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

Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: circa 1798
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 43 3/4 Inches
Overall Length: 58 3/4 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.

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.