U.S. MODEL 1842 RIFLED MUSKET, TYPES I AND II, 69 CALIBER, PAPER CARTRIDGE, PERCUSSION
Original muskets manufactured by Harpers Ferry Armory, Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), 1843–55, and Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1844–55; altered to rifled muskets at the same armories, 1855–59. Total altered: 55,290.
Overall length: 57-13/16". Weight: 9 lbs. 4 oz.
Muzzleloader, single shot.
Eagle over “US” on lock plate in front of hammer; “HARPERS / FERRY / [year]” or “SPRING / FIELD / [year]” vertically on lock plate to rear of hammer; “V / P / [eagle head]” proof mark on left side of barrel near breech; inspector’s initials forward of proof marks on some examples; year on barrel tang; “US” on tang of butt stock.
Government armories and arsenals carried out a program from 1855 to 1859 to rifle the barrels of U.S. Model 1842 Muskets (.69 caliber). The barrels were rifled with three broad grooves, with lands of the same width. In addition, long-range rear sights were installed on most units. These rifled muskets are designated “Type I.”
Model 1842 Type II rifled muskets do not have rear sights.
A subset of the U.S. Model 1852 Rifled Muskets, Type I, were the 500 units that were browned at Harper’s Ferry Armory in 1856.
Type II rifled muskets were the up to 20,074 weapons that were not fitted with rear sights.
| GOOD–$1,200 | FINE–$3,500 |
Model 1842 Type I rifled musket. Rock Island Auction Company
GREENWOOD ALTERATIONOF U.S. MUSKETTO RIFLED MUSKET, .69 CALIBER, PAPER CARTRIDGE, PERCUSSION (BELGIANOR “CONE” TYPE)
Rock Island Auction Company
Muskets manufactured by various national and private armories; altered to rifled muskets by Miles Greenwood & Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1861. Total altered: 16,918.
Overall length and weight depend on model.
Muzzleloader, single shot.
Markings according to original maker.
In 1861 Miles Greenwood & Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, converted to rifled muskets 16,918 U.S. muskets which previously had been altered with cone-in-barrel (or Belgian style) percussion systems. The rifling was with four narrow grooves, and a rear sight similar to that on the British P1853 rifle-musket was soldered to the barrel.
| GOOD–$900 | FINE–$2,000 |
GREENWOOD ALTERATIONOF U.S. MODEL 1842 MUSKETTO RIFLED MUSKET, .69 CALIBER, PAPER CARTRIDGE, PERCUSSION
Original muskets manufactured by Harpers Ferry Armory, Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, 1843–55, and Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1844–55; altered to rifled muskets by Miles Greenwood & Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1861. Total altered: approximately 8,400.
Overall length: 57-13/16". Weight: approximately 9 lbs. 4 oz.
Muzzleloader, single shot.
Eagle over “US” on lock plate in front of hammer; “HARPERS / FERRY / [year]” or “SPRING / FIELD / [year]” vertically on lock plate to rear of hammer; “V / P / [eagle head]” proof mark on left side of barrel near breech; inspector’s initials forward of proof marks on some examples; year on barrel tang; “US” on tang of butt stock.
In 1861 the State of Ohio contracted with Miles Greenwood & Company to alter a quantity of U.S. Model 1842 smoothbore muskets to rifled muskets with long-range rear sights. Greenwood reportedly altered 8,406 of these weapons, rifled with four narrow grooves, and with rear sights similar to the British P1853 rifle-musket soldered to the barrel.
| GOOD–$1,200 | FINE–$3,500 |
GREENWOOD ALTERATIONTO AUSTRIAN MODEL 1842 MUSKETTO RIFLED MUSKET, APPROXIMATELY .70 CALIBER, PAPER CARTRIDGE, PERCUSSION
Manufactured by Austrian national armory, alteration by Miles Greenwood & Co. and Hall, Carroll, & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, 1861. Total production: approximately 10,000.
Overall length: 57-3/4".
Muzzleloader, single shot.
Three-digit date (omitting the first digit “1”) to front of hammer on lock plate; Austrian imperial double-headed eagle to rear of hammer on lock plate; most metal parts stamped with identical numbers.
In 1861, Miles Greenwood & Company contracted to alter 10,000 Austrian Model 1842 smoothbore muskets destined for Gen. John Charles Frémont’s Missouri troops. Greenwood subcontracted 5,000 of the units to Hall, Carroll, & Company, also of Cincinnati. Reportedly, the alteration consisted of replacing the Austrian tubelock ignition apparatus with a percussion system, possibly of the cone-in-barrel (or Belgian) type, as well as installing a long-range rear sight soldered to the barrel. This model of musket had a 43" barrel and easily identifiable lock markings.
| GOOD–$400 | FINE–$1,500 |
U.S. MODEL 1851 RIFLED CADET MUSKET, .57 CALIBER, PAPER CARTRIDGE, PERCUSSION
Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts, ca. 1851–53, rifled by Springfield Armory, 1857. Total production: ca. 341.
Overall length: 55-1/4".
Muzzleloader, single shot.
“SPRING / FIELD / [year]” on lock plate to rear of hammer; eagle over “US” on lock plate to front of hammer; year on top of breech plug tang; “V,” “P,” and eagle head near breech.
Springfield Armory’s records for 1857 reported that 341 Model 1851 Cadet Muskets, smoothbore, were rifled and equipped with long-range rear sights. These rifled muskets had 40" barrels and iron furniture, finished bright; and three barrel bands (upper band with double strap).
| GOOD–$850 | FINE–$2,000 |
P.S. JUSTICE RIFLED MUSKET, .69 CALIBER, TYPE I, PAPER CARTRIDGE, PERCUSSION
Made by Philip S. Justice, Philadelphia, 1861. Total production: Unknown.
Overall length: 54-3/4".
Muzzleloader, single shot.
“P.S. JUSTICE / PHILADA” on lock plate to front of hammer and on top of barrel near breech; on some specimens, a number to rear of bayonet stud and eagle on lock plate to front of hammer.
Philip S. Justice supplied 2,174 .69-caliber rifled muskets in three distinctive types to the U.S. Ordnance Department in the