Help with Springfield 1811 musket (pics)

D

Davegill

Inactive
I just acquired this today. The lady I got it from said someone gave it to her grand pop and he put it in a closet. Then it went to her dad and his closet and to her and her closet then to me.

Any help on what I really have would be great. I am doing research myself but am getting some mixed info.
I can take any close up pics needed. Thanks
Dave

I have to host the pics. I will post them in a few mins. Sorry I thought I could straight from the iPad
 
The year of manufacture would make it one of the last Model 1795 muskets, just before the introduction of the 1812 model. Probably want to post some pictures of the whole gun to see if it has been modified in any way over the centuries.
 
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Could we get a picture of the whole lockplate or at least the lockplate ahead of the cock, and also of the front end showing the upper band? Thanks.

Jim
 
Wow! I hope I look that good when I am 201.

The musket most used by the Americans in the early part of the Revoluionary War was the .75 caliber English "Brown Bess", which the British had provided to colonial militias. Later, as arms came from France, the .69 Model 1768 (Charleville) became the effective standard.

It was the latter musket that the new nation copied and produced for its own use at Springfield Armory, starting in 1795. The Model 1795 was the first regulation service arm produced entirely in a national armory and is historically very important as it was the start of volume arms production in the United States.

The Armory at Springfield, Massachusetts was completed in 1795; production of muskets began almost immediately, and continued until 1814. Greatest volume production was in 1811, when 12,020 were made, of a total production of 96,000. (An additional 70,000 were made at Harpers Ferry, VA, 1800-1815.)

Collectors classify those muskets by type, based on variations; that is a Type III.

It is hard to make a realistic value assessment, but I would guess at around $8000, but it could go higher. Those muskets, complete and relatively intact, just aren't seen too often outside museums.

Jim
 
Very cool info. Thanks for taking the time! Last question. I want to display it but and wondering if other than blowing the dust off of it is there anything I should do to it. I have no intentions on cleaning it or doing anything to it but is it ok to have it out or should I build a shadow box for it or keep it wrapped and in a closet?

Thanks again
Dave
 
Definitely add a light coat of oil, and however you display it, keep it out of direct sunlight. If you build a shadowbox, get some dryrite or silicagel to keep moisture out.
 
As Jim notes, not many of the flintlock musekts surirve from this era. Most that did were converted to percussion guns, either in the lead up to the Civil War or when they were surplussed out to companies after the Civil War and were offered for sale as cheap subsistence hunting guns.
 
Dave, for what you are doing simple 3-1 mineral oil will do. All you're trying is to keep moisture off the metal and in the wood.
 
Almost certainly high quality black walnut, juglans nigra. The tree is common in North America, but it was used so heavily in furniture in the 19th and early 20th centuries that many forests were wiped out. Today, most wood used in gunstocks is English walnut, a wood lighter in both weight and color.

Jim
 
Looking for Family Harpers Ferry Musket

This is my first post. I don't know what I'm doing, but here's my need.
Looking for Harpers Ferry Musket, smooth bore, has eagle on side plate and I think 1852 or 1853. It has distinguishing Mark on stock. The initials
JAL are carved on stock. This gun has been in our family since the civil war.
Will pay any reasonable price to get it back. It was accidently sold at
a Government auction in Orlando, of Port Charlotte, Fl, my email is
drawd929@aol.com if you have any info.
 
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