Original item: One of a Kind. Now this is something we do not see every day! This is a very early American Model 1808 Flintlock Musket, made very much in the style of the Model 1795 patterned not long after the end of the U.S. Revolution. At the time the Arsenal and Armory at Springfield was still relatively small, so due to this there were often contracts issued for this and later muskets.

In 1808, the U.S. Government issued contracts to numerous gunmakers active at the time, nineteen in total, and very few of these remain today. In fact there are no known examples by some makers, partly due to the fact that some of the 1808 muskets did not have any maker markings on their lock plates. There is a great PDF article at the American Society of Arms Collectors detailing the various makers and markings used in this contract: 1808 United States Contract Muskets.

This is a lovely example of a Model 1808 Contract musket, which features the correct flat lock plate with a pointed tail. We have had both marked and unmarked examples, and this example is marked on the lock plate as follows:

(Eagle)
O. BIDWELL
MIDDLETOWN

This is the correct marking for Oliver Bidwell of Middletown (Middleton) Connecticut, who built the first pistol factory in the United States on the Pameacha River in Middletown, winning a contract with the United States War Department for handmade pistols after opening in 1810. He later won a contract for the Model 1808 muskets circa 1811, and would quickly be followed by many other well-known early gunmaking companies in the area. Bidwell was contracted for 4,000 Model 1808 muskets by the Government. We have seen these examples with horizontally marked dates on the lock plate tail, however this example either had the marking wear away, or was never marked. We did note that the maker name was double stamped, an error in manufacturing but one that in no way made it less effective, so it was simply shipped along. We checked the barrel, and unfortunately there are no longer any markings present on the breech area due to wear, and we did not see any markings on the stock either.

As with many early American muskets. it was later converted to percussion, which possibly could have been used in the U.S. Civil War. It is a fairly standard conversion, with the lock modified by removal of the frizzen and pan, and the holes for them plugged. The hammer was replaced by a simple one, and the touch hole replaced by a "barrel" shaped bolster with a cleanout on the side and the cap nipple cone on top. We also noticed that the musket is 53 3/4" long with a 38 3/4" barrel, definitely a bit shorter than the usual 58-60 inches we see Model 1808 muskets in. We however cannot see any filled holes from moving the barrel bands, so it is possible that it was made this length.

The musket's mounts are all of iron, as is correct for the pattern, and the metalwork overall has a lovely matured brown oxidized patina, definitely looking every bit of the 200+ years old that it is. We can see past cleaning to remove oxidation from the barrel, which also unfortunately removed the markings. There is also a good amount of powder burn near the cap bolster, and the cap nipple cone itself is just a remnant, so it saw long service as a percussion musket. We checked the bore, and it is dark, and now measures out to about 0.714", definitely well worn. In spite of this, the lock is still fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full, though it is a bit stiff. The stock shows a lovely dark red brown color to the American Black walnut, and there is actually some great figure to the grain in the butt stock area. There are no major cracks or repairs that we can see, just the usual crack near the breech running back to the lower lock screw. There is a ramrod under the barrel, but it looks to be a period replacement, and both sling swivels have been removed.

A great example of a very early American contract military musket by rare maker Oliver Bidwell, only one of a few Model 1808 muskets that we have ever had, and the first by this maker. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: circa 1811
Caliber: .69" worn to .714"
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 38 3/4 Inches
Overall Length: 53 3/4 Inches
Action type: Side Action Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

History of the Model 1795 Musket:

The Model 1795 was the first musket to be produced in the United States by Springfield and Harper's Ferry Arsenals, as well as contractor Eli Whitney. It was based heavily on the Charleville musket, Model 1763/66, which had been imported in large numbers from the French during the American Revolution, and which at the time comprised the largest number of muskets in U.S. arsenals at about 20,000 muskets. The Model 1795 was used in the War of 1812, after which shortcomings in both the design and manufacturing process of the Model 1795 led to the development of the Model 1812 Musket at Springfield only, and eventually the Model 1816 Musket muskets at both armories.

The Model 1795 a very elongated musket, retained many of the characteristics of the Charleville on which it was based. It had a 44 inches (110 cm) long .69 caliber barrel, a 56 inches (140 cm) stock, and a total length of 60 inches (150 cm). The original version had the bayonet lug on the bottom of the barrel but this was later moved to the top. Minor changes were made throughout production inclusive of a shorter barrel length of 42 inches (110 cm) on the later Harper's Ferry weapons. Barrels of Harper's Ferry 1795s were serial numbered up to some point in 1812: Springfield Model 1795's were never serial numbered. Springfield began the Model 1812 improvements in 1814, but Harper's Ferry continued on with the production of the Model 1795 until at least 1819 (early 1819 examples still used the M1795 lockplate) and never produced the Model 1812. Eventually, both armories incorporated improvements into the Model 1816 flintlock which were after a few years virtually identical. Most, but not all, parts will interchange on the Model 1816 muskets but the hand-crafted parts, and lack of set standards and patterns on the earlier Model 1795 weapons often means parts will not interchange easily.

Typical of smoothbore muskets, the M1795 had an effective range of about 50 yards (46 m) to 75 yards (69 m). The Model 1795 fired a smaller round than the British .75 caliber Brown Bess, but the Model 1795 also had both a slightly longer range and slightly better accuracy than the Brown Bess musket. This gave the American forces an advantage of range when they faced British forces in the War of 1812.

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.

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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.