Original Item: Only One Available. The Springfield Model 1812 Musket was a .69 caliber, flintlock musket designed and manufactured by the Springfield Armory. In the years after the War of 1812, due to deficiencies perceived in the model 1795, the U.S. wanted them quickly replaced, and so also contracted out various orders to gun manufacturers of the time. This example however was made at the Government arsenal in Harpers Ferry, in what was then the state of Virginia.

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. We were not able to see any markings on the breech plug indicating who did the conversion.

The flat lock plate is worn, only showing traces of the "Federal Eagle" marking under 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
1817

While this is a bit late for a Model 1812 musket, it has the correct separate bolster for the lower sling swivel, not the Model 1816 type, which had the swivel bolster on the trigger guard. We tested the lock, and it is functional, however it will fire at both half and full cock. Due to replacement of the breech end of the barrel, none of the original markings are present, and we also checked the left side of the stock, and were not able to see any cartouches, though there are some scratched in letters.

The musket measures 58 inches in overall length, with a barrel 42 1/4 inches long, and comes complete with an original ramrod, which may be a period replacement. The bore is worn out a bit at the muzzle to around .70", so it definitely saw a good amount of use. The large amount of powder burn around the cap nipple cone bolster confirms this, and the cone itself is heavily eroded and partly missing. We also noted that both of the sling swivels were removed at some point, though the bolsters are still present. The metalwork has a really nice aged oxidized patina, which we have left intact to preserve the great aged look. The wood stock is in very good shape with a very nice color, showing the expected wear from long use in the field.. There are some cracks in the stock on the right side near the lock side plate, but we did not notice any major damage or repairs.

A lovely service used example of an older musket converted for service in the 1850s and possibly used during the Civil War. Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1817
Caliber: originally .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 42 1/4 Inches
Overall Length: 58 Inches
Action type: Side Action Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

History of the Model 1812 Musket:

The War of 1812 revealed many weaknesses in the earlier Model 1795 Musket. The Model 1812 was an attempt to improve both the design and manufacturing process of the musket. The design borrowed heavily from the French Charleville model 1777 musket. The Springfield Model 1812 musket arrived too late to be of use in the War of 1812 but would later become standard issue to regular infantry and militia units.

The Model 1812 was a .69 caliber smoothbore musket, with a 42-inch (107 cm) barrel and a 54-inch (137 cm) stock, and a total length of 57-inch (145 cm). The Model 1812 was produced only at Springfield: the M1795 would continue in production at Harpers Ferry into 1818.

The Model 1812 was produced in a quantity of almost 30,000 between the years 1814 and 1816. It was replaced by the Model 1816 Musket. However, the Model 1812 remained in service for many years, and was even used in the American Civil War, mostly by the Confederate forces. By the start of the Civil war, the weapon was considered to be old and obsolete but was needed to fill arms shortages.

Some Model 1812 muskets were later converted to percussion lock firing mechanisms. The percussion cap system was much more reliable and weatherproof than the flintlock system used on the Model 1812 in its original configuration.

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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.