They weren't "contract muskets" because no contracts were issued. And, they weren't "civilian" in any sense other than they were privately owned. The Militia Acts required every eligible male to acquire his own musket. The contract muskets made under the provisions of the act to "arm the militia" did not mean they were issued to the militia. In fact, nearly all were kept in storage with the intention of arming volunteer units (drawn from the militia) in time of war. The militia was, in effect, a nationwide basic training program. It was never intended to be embodied as a whole for anything other than short term, local duty.
