Description
This antique beauty was manufactured at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts in 1848. Overall condition is extremely high, with bright metal parts, crisp markings and very strong action. It includes the original muzzle tompion.
These .69 smoothbore weapons were highly issued during the early Civil War years on both sides–the favorite carrier of the famed “buck and ball” projectile.
This musket was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1842, but production started too late for these arms to play a major role in the Mexican War. Nevertheless U.S. troops were equipped with modern high-quality percussion rifles and muskets. Mexican forces were issued obsolete flint-lock arms. As the war continued, U.S. General Winfield Scott led militia and regular troops into southern Mexico, where victory in five major battles brought about a Mexican surrender. In 1848, territory including the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico was annexed by the United States.
The last of the .69 caliber U.S. long arms, the Model 1842 was also the first percussion arm made at the national armories and a big step forward in having fully interchangeable parts even though manufactured at both Springfield and Harpers Ferry arsenals. These muskets saw active service in the prewar army in the early west and throughout the Civil War in the hands of volunteers on both sides, with some 172,000 being made at Springfield. The musket is in overall fine condition. The metal surfaces all have an attractive uniform lightly cleaned appearance.
The lockplate has a strong spreadwinged eagle over small “US” forward of the hammer and “SPRING / FIELD / 1848” in a stacked, three-line arrangement back of the hammer. Mechanics are very strong, crisp and work properly. If you want to add a FINE example in your collection, you won’t do much better anywhere!
