Original item: One Only. The US Model 1840 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 1840 was mainly an incremental improvement over the earlier model 1835. The main differences were a buttstock with a comb top, and also a thicker walled barrel. It was foreseen that eventually many of these muskets would be converted to Rifled Muskets, so the models 1840 and 1842 featured these barrels. 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. This example looks to have escaped conversion just after production, and was used as a flintlock for some time. This makes it a very late production example, made after the changes were officially in progress. It also escaped later conversion to percussion, and is still offered in the original Flintlock configuration, though it does look like some of the parts may have been swapped at arsenal long ago.

The lock is marked with a correct partial American "Federal Eagle" / U.S. under of the hammer, and was produced at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield itself, as indicated on the lock plate tail:

SPRING
FIELD
1842

The rifle side plate is thin and not bulged, as typical of the Model 1840 Musket. Previous iterations had had a more pronounced side plate with a bulge in the middle. The barrel breech is proof marked with the standard V over P over an Eagle's Head (faint), however the tang of the barrel is dated 1829. We do not know whether this was a left over barrel was used, or whether it was replaced later. There are two cartouches on the left side of the stock, one of which we cannot read accurately, and the other of which reads WAT, indicating inspection by Captain William Anderson Thornton, U.S. Army. He worked from 1841 to 1861, inspecting various small arms, usually for contract makers.

All iron mounts this .69 caliber musket is in very good service used condition, showing a fantastic patina of age. Both sling swivels are still present and move, though they are a bit stiff from corrosion. There is a trumpet shaped ramrod under the barrel, which looks to be an aftermarket replacement. The lock is fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full, and the main spring is still quite strong. There is a good amount of wear to the frizzen and powder burn around the touch hole, so the musket does look to have seen a good amount of use while in service. We checked the interior of the bore, and it shows a lot of fouling and oxidation, and is also now about .70" in diameter, so it saw a lot of use. The stock is in very good condition as well, with the lovely brown color of oiled aged walnut. There are the expected dents and dings from service and storage, and we can also see some past chipping and cracking. There is a repair on the left side of the barrel tang, and also on the right side behind the lock plate.

A lovely patinated example, which possibly could have been pressed back into service during the Civil War, most likely on the confederate side. Without any need for percussion caps, it would only need powder and bullets, which was an advantage with south's supply issues. Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1842 & 1829
Caliber: .69"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 42 Inches
Overall Length: 58 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

History of the Model 1840 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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