Harpers Ferry 1816 type II Flintlock musket- Dated 1827 Mormon Battalion year musket
Guns International #: 100435374 Seller's Inventory #: 188
Category: Antique Rifles - Flintlock - Muzzleloading Rifles - Antique Flint
Seller's Information
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Seller: Horner2001
Company:
Member Since: 4/5/12
First Name: Philip
Last Name: Horner
State: California
Zip: 95630
Country: United States
Phone: (916) 367-9480
Number of Active Listings: 0
Total Number of Listings: 17
Seller: Private Seller
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
3 days
Payment Types Accepted: Cashiers cheque, money orders
Description:
For sale is an antique Harpers Ferry 1816 type II musket dated 1827. This is the year, model and type of musket that was issued to the Mormon Battalion. I am not selling this musket as one that was actually issued to the Mormon Battalion. There is no connection, provenance or other facts to connect it to that history. There were many thousands of these flintlocks manufactured and only a few hundred were issued to the Battalion. This example is in good to very good condition. All functions as it should. The brown finish is there. I have seen many of these muskets polished bright. This musket has its original finish. Most of these muskets were later reconfigured to percussion. This one seems to be an original flintlock. If it was reconfigure back to flintlock it was so expertly done I cannot detect it. Stock has lots of bumps and bruises. Edge near lock has loss of wood (see pictures). If you need better pictures of anything, let me know. The Mormon Battalion volunteers were issued their accouterments and weapons at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas under the direction of Lt. Col. James Allen, Battalion Commander. Being a volunteer group, the Battalion was issued what was currently on hand at the Fort, especially older models. Any new models were generally held in reserve for regular Army troops. Being enlisted into the army, the Battalion men were looking forward to receiving their muskets, particularly since they would be allowed to keep their firearms when their 1-year enlistment was up. However, seeing their eagerness Col. Allen cautioned the men as they were lining up, “Stand back, boys; don’t be in a hurry to get your muskets; you will want to throw the d—-d things away before you get to California.” Musket Standard military issue in the 1840’s to the infantry was the Model 1816 (M1816) Harpers Ferry, 0.69 caliber, smooth-bore, flintlock musket with a leather sling. Muskets issued to the Battalion were stamped 1827 on the lock plate, indicating the year of manufacture at the armory. The Type II 1827 muskets had the barrel chemically browned to resist rusting. The Type III (1831-1844) M1816 muskets had unbrowned shiny barrels and locks. The M1816 musket was equipped with a lug atop the muzzle for fixing the triangular socket bayonet. The muskets weighed nearly 10 lbs (9 lb. 2 oz-14 oz). The stock was made out of a dense wood like walnut. The M1816 musket fired a 0.64-0.65 caliber spherical lead ball (about 1 oz.) packaged in the bottom of a paper cartridge with a measured 90 grains of course grain black powder (charcoal/potassium nitrate/sulfur). This smaller ball was easier and quicker to load than a larger 0.68 ball. The end of the cartridge was tied off with a string which wrapped above the ball to help segregate it from the powder. A very common version of the cartridge was the Buck and Ball cartridge that contained an additional 3 pieces of buckshot BB’s atop the single 0.65 caliber ball. This cartridge increased the probability of hitting and inflicting some damage to the target. Cartridges were commercially made in ammunition factories in the East and sent to army supply depots and forts in wood crates. Because of the smooth-bore barrel, the musket ball came out more like a knuckleball rather than a spinning fast ball. Musket accuracy was reported to be around 50-100 yards, but the closer the better. Again, I am not selling this as a musket that was issued to the Mormon Battalion prior to their epic march across America. It is just the same year, model and make.
SOLD
Antique: Yes