Harpers Ferry Rifled & Sighted US Model 1842 Musket

American Civil War

.69 caliber. 42" rifled round barrel secured by three flat spring-retained barrel bands. NSN. Bright finish, iron furniture, walnut stock. Lock marked with {Spread-Winged Eagle} over US forward of hammer and HARPERS/FERRY/1854 vertically at tail. Tang dated 1853. Breech with the usual V/P/{Eagle Head} proof marks and a smaller PB/P Harpers Ferry barrel inspection from arsenal sub-inspector Philip Burkart. Only the outline of a cartouche is visible on counterpane. A period W is carved in the obverse stock and the reverse wrist and stock are carved with the saying "Bully in the woods". US Model 1855 pattern long range rear sight, correct added tall iron blade front sight on front of upper double strapped band with correct groove in barrel underneath, bore rifled with three broad, shallow grooves. Retains both sling swivels and a period trumpet head ramrod that is full-length and is correctly dished at the face for the use with elongated ball ammunition. A total of 23,683 US Model 1842 muskets were rifled and sighted between 1856 and 1859, primarily at Springfield (9,929) and Harpers Ferry (11,060). 1,313 were altered at Frankford Arsenal in 1857-1858 and 1,381 were altered at St. Louis Arsenal in 1857. As both Springfield and Harpers Ferry primarily rifled guns that they had produced and were in strogae at their respective facilities, this gun was likely rifled at Harpers Ferry.

This lot is located in Cincinnati.