Springfield Armory M1816 altered to percussion

[WESTbury]

Between June 1842 and through September 1845, a team of Ordnance Dept. personnel under the direction of Lt. Peter Hagner, conducted an inspection and inventory of all flintlock muskets in both U.S. Armories and all Federal Arsenals around the country. The object of Hagner's inspection was to identify those muskets in the Federal Inventory suitable for alteration to percussion. Only those muskets manufactured after 1831 and not issued were to be considered as First Class arms and thus candidates for percussion alteration. Those alterations were performed at the armories and arsenals in 1851 and 1852. Springfield Armory altered 86,565 Model 1816 muskets and 26.841 Model 1840 muskets.

Shown in this post is a Springfield Armory M1816 Flintlock Musket, dated 1835, so altered by Springfield. Each Armory and Arsenal that performed the alterations had their own method of identifying the muskets altered in each individual facility, usually an alpha-numeric stamp on the stock, barrel or percussion hammer. The majority of Model 1816 muskets still on the market today are reconverted and can be identified by the alpha-numeric stamps applied during percussion alteration.

For more info, photos, and altered muskets see pages 109 through 130 of my book Springfield Armory Infantry Muskets published in June 2015.

 

[Bigmon]

I have one re-converted to flint, and one in it's converted to percussion.
Neither in that great condition as yours appears.  They are neat pieces.

[varsity07840]

I've often wondered about how many of those cone conversion muskets failed when they became heavily fouled and breech pressures rose. The nipple seats on them are very weak.

[WESTbury]

I have one re-converted to flint, and one in it's converted to percussion.
Neither in that great condition as yours appears.  They are neat pieces.

Thanks, appreciate your comments and for taking the time to view my post. These altered muskets are very important from a historical perspective as most ended up in combat during the first couple of years of the Civil War.

[WESTbury]

I've often wondered about how many of those cone conversion muskets failed when they became heavily fouled and breech pressures rose. The nipple seats on them are very weak.

We know for sure that those that were rifled, failed so badly from the back pressure, that the rifling program was halted with only 21,671 being rifled.

[D. Buck Stopshere]

I will have to take look at my recent gun show purchase earlier this year at the Greensboro Gun Show, where my friend Michael Briggs displays his discoveries and published books on NC Longrifles Schools.

On Sunday afternoon, a feller was walking by my tables wheeling a golf cart. In the golf bag were three antique firearms. To this day, I kick myself for not buying all three of them. One was an unmarked half stock percussion rifle, and the other was a heavily rusted Enfield Rifle Musket. I passed up on those two and bought the remaining firearm, a full-length US Springfield Model 1816 musket, converted, dated 1827 on the lockplate. The background on these was he was on a crew tearing down an old house in the area, and upon removing a wall, he found these three standing up.

I'll get some photos and post it here when I can get time. I think the guns were likely behind the wall probably at the end of the Civil War or during Reconstruction. Somehow, the 1816 stayed a well-preserved musket, mint condition on the screw heads, smooth finish in the bore, evidence of blueing remaining on the furniture. The real standout are the initials on the bolster, "H & P", Hewes & Phillips of Newark NJ, the contractor doing the percussion conversion.

Thanks for your help on the inspector and workmen's stamps.

[WESTbury]

That's a great story. You never know what is going to come through the door at a gunshow.

Very much looking forward to seeing your photos to see the photos.