Springfield 1842 Musket at LGS
- Thread starter GaryED50
- Start date
Jim Watson
New member
An original? Rifled?
I know they went back and rifled a bunch of muskets. A .69 Minie ball is a LARGE projectile.
I know they went back and rifled a bunch of muskets. A .69 Minie ball is a LARGE projectile.
Surprised me too but I took a look with a bore light and its definitely rifled. it was really something to see and examine.
44caliberkid
New member
If this is an original arm in VG condition, the price is excellent, should be $2000 - $3000. If it is a reproduction then it is just discounted a couple hundred.
I'm leaning towards reproduction.
Rifling really wasn't in production till closer to the end of the war.
Civil war that is, so your talking 1863-64.
I was wondering if it shouldn't have been a flintlock, but upon further research the 42' was indeed percussion. The 40's were changed over from flintlock to percussion to make them 42's.
And they were indeed smoothbores.
Even my original 1861 Harpers Ferry is a smoothbore.
Still, nice find & beauty of a musket!
And one you can shoot!
Rifling really wasn't in production till closer to the end of the war.
Civil war that is, so your talking 1863-64.
I was wondering if it shouldn't have been a flintlock, but upon further research the 42' was indeed percussion. The 40's were changed over from flintlock to percussion to make them 42's.
And they were indeed smoothbores.
Even my original 1861 Harpers Ferry is a smoothbore.
Still, nice find & beauty of a musket!
And one you can shoot!
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There were 14,000 of them rifled between 1856-1859.I'm leaning towards reproduction.
Rifling really wasn't in production till closer to the end of the war.
Civil war that is, so your talking 1863-64.
I was wondering if it shouldn't have been a flintlock, but upon further research the 42' was indeed percussion. The 40's were changed over from flintlock to percussion to make them 42's.
And they were indeed smoothbores.
Even my original 1861 Harpers Ferry is a smoothbore.
Still, nice find & beauty of a musket!
And one you can shoot!
Its not a repro my friendI'm leaning towards reproduction.
Rifling really wasn't in production till closer to the end of the war.
Civil war that is, so your talking 1863-64.
I was wondering if it shouldn't have been a flintlock, but upon further research the 42' was indeed percussion. The 40's were changed over from flintlock to percussion to make them 42's.
And they were indeed smoothbores.
Even my original 1861 Harpers Ferry is a smoothbore.
Still, nice find & beauty of a musket!
And one you can shoot!
Its one of two authentic muzzle loaders he has in the shop. the other is an Springfield Model 1861. hate to imagine the price on that one
Jim Watson
New member
Ought not to be too bad, there were far more 1861s than reworked 1842s.
You should be able to find a decent 1861 shooter for around 1000.00
Decent shooter, not a museum piece. You can find them with cut down stocks for a lot less.
You are correct.
The research I did on mine indicated that the 1842 barrels were made 'thicker' in anticipation of future rifling. And as indicated above, quite a few were manufactured with rifling. I understand that the rifled version came with a rear sight.
My wife bought me mine at a local auction for fathers day. That was exiting. Mine isn't rifled either and I have a hard time keeping it on a man sized target at 25 yards. But I bet I could hit a regiment sized target at 100 yards.
My 1861 is much more accurate, though I have only shot it with 58 caliber round ball. Still trying to figure a way to measure its actual bore diameter.
I thought that all 1861's were rifled?
My wife bought me mine at a local auction for fathers day. That was exiting. Mine isn't rifled either and I have a hard time keeping it on a man sized target at 25 yards. But I bet I could hit a regiment sized target at 100 yards.
My 1861 is much more accurate, though I have only shot it with 58 caliber round ball. Still trying to figure a way to measure its actual bore diameter.
I thought that all 1861's were rifled?
Mike Irwin
Staff
"I thought that all 1861's were rifled? "
Yes.
The Model 1842 was the last musket adopted into US service, and it was also the last .69 caliber adopted. Tests at Springfield armory with rifled M1842s vs. what would later become the .58 caliber M1855 showed that the .58 cal. Minie ball was more accurate and had better ballistics and range.
Yes.
The Model 1842 was the last musket adopted into US service, and it was also the last .69 caliber adopted. Tests at Springfield armory with rifled M1842s vs. what would later become the .58 caliber M1855 showed that the .58 cal. Minie ball was more accurate and had better ballistics and range.
At $1,099, it's a probably Traditions repro. That's not a bad thing, but $1,099 is a bit less than their MSRP of $1209.
Supposedly rifled after 1855 when the .58 calibre was adopted.
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1202360
Supposedly rifled after 1855 when the .58 calibre was adopted.
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1202360