Original Item: One Only. This is a fascinating early U.S. military musket manufactured in 1819 by Lemuel Pomeroy & Company under contract for the United States Government. Originally produced as a .69 caliber Model 1816 flintlock musket, it was later converted to percussion during the mid-19th century and subsequently reconverted back to flintlock. Its unusual stock profile, extensive service wear, replaced fore stock, and multiple periods of modification give it a distinctive appearance and tell the story of an American military arm that remained useful for generations.

The U.S. Model 1816 Musket was a .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock with a standard 42-inch barrel and an overall length of approximately 58 inches. It replaced the earlier Model 1812 and is generally regarded as a further development of that design.

Like the Model 1812, the Model 1816 drew heavily from the French Model 1777 Charleville musket. The American design incorporated a longer lock plate, shorter trigger guard, longer bayonet, and a straighter stock profile than its predecessor. These changes helped establish the general form of the standard U.S. infantry musket that would remain in service for decades.

Model 1816 muskets were manufactured at Springfield Armory, Harpers Ferry Armory, and by numerous private contractors, including Lemuel Pomeroy & Company. The pattern was eventually followed by the Model 1822, which many collectors consider a continuation or refinement of the Model 1816. Muskets of this general family are also sometimes called “Whitney Flintlocks” because of the large number manufactured by Eli Whitney in New Haven, Connecticut.

During the 1850s, many older flintlock muskets held in government arsenals were converted to percussion ignition. The percussion system was more reliable and considerably more resistant to wet weather, allowing the government to modernize large quantities of existing arms without replacing them entirely. These conversion programs involved virtually every variation of the Model 1816 family and helped standardize the ammunition and ignition systems used by soldiers in the field.

This musket was most likely converted using the cone-in-barrel, or “Belgian,” method. During that process, the original touch hole was filled and a percussion nipple was installed directly into the barrel. At some later point, the musket was reconverted back to flintlock. The percussion nipple was removed, its opening was plugged, and a new touch hole was drilled. A replacement brass flash pan, frizzen, and frizzen spring were installed to restore the earlier ignition system. These components remain functional today.

The lock plate is marked beneath the replacement brass pan with a Federal Eagle over:

L. POMEROY

The lock plate tail is marked:

1819
U S

Lemuel Pomeroy & Company of Pittsfield, Massachusetts manufactured approximately 21,600 government muskets between 1817 and 1836, including Type I Model 1816 and Type III Model 1830 arms. Pomeroy was not contracted to manufacture the intermediate Type II Model 1822, as contractors commonly continued producing the pattern specified under their existing agreements. Many Pomeroy muskets were intended for state militia use, including arms supplied to Virginia.

The 42-inch smoothbore barrel retains its government inspection proofs at the breech, including:

Eagle’s Head
P
V
LS

The initials LS identify inspector Luther Sage, who is known to have inspected muskets manufactured by R. Johnson, Waters, Whitney, Pomeroy, and Starr. These markings strongly suggest that the barrel is original to the Pomeroy lock and was accepted as part of the same government contract arm.

The bore shows extensive service wear, including some deformation at the muzzle. Originally manufactured in .69 caliber, it now measures approximately .72 to .74 caliber depending upon where the muzzle is measured.

One of the most unusual features of this musket is its stock. The butt has a pronounced “banister rail,” or handrail-style profile, with a raised, narrow, and curved wooden comb resembling the rail of a staircase. This form is frequently encountered on British and French military muskets but is highly unusual on a standard American Model 1816.

We cannot determine whether the original stock was substantially reshaped or replaced entirely at some point during the musket’s long history. The stock was split through the lock area long ago and subsequently repaired.

The final 27 1/2 inches of the fore stock were completely replaced with a fabricated section. The joint is concealed beneath the lower barrel band, returning the musket to its full-length profile. The replacement fore stock does not incorporate springs for the barrel bands or nose cap, and several areas display visible hand carving and other non-standard modifications.

Although clearly altered, the stock has a pleasing aged appearance and gives the musket a strong overall display profile. Its unusual construction also presents an interesting opportunity for further study.

The barrel and iron furniture exhibit a mottled gray-brown patina with evidence of past oxidation, peppering, and light pitting that has since been largely cleaned away. Considerable erosion is present around the lock and breech area, indicating that the musket saw substantial firing and long service both before and after its conversion.

The stock remains in good display condition with an attractive aged color. A stress crack is present on the left side of the butt stock, though it does not currently show movement.

The lower sling swivel appears to be a modern replacement, while the upper sling swivel is no longer present. The ramrod is also a fabricated replacement and is considerably thinner than an original military ramrod.

Mechanically, the reconverted flintlock remains functional. The lock holds correctly at half cock and fires from full cock, though the action is somewhat stiff.

This is a highly interesting example of an early American contract musket that was repeatedly adapted and repaired throughout its long working life. Its 1819 Lemuel Pomeroy lock, Luther Sage-inspected barrel, percussion conversion, later flintlock reconversion, unusual handrail stock profile, and replaced fore stock combine to create a distinctive piece with considerable research and display appeal.

Ready for further research and display.

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1819
Caliber: Originally .69 Caliber, Worn to Approximately .72 to .74 Caliber
Ammunition Type: Loose Powder and Ball
Barrel Length: 42 Inches
Overall Length: 57 1/4 Inches
Action: Side Action Flintlock Reconversion
Feed System: Single Shot Muzzle Loader

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.

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.