This is a very good, tight example of a Springfield Model 1816 percussion conversion musket typical of those carried by many early Civil War volunteers and intended to fire .69 caliber “buck and ball” cartridges of one round shot and three buckshot. Collectors in the past have divided the Model 1816 into three main sub-types, which have been more recently re-classified by Schmidt as the Models 1816, 1822 and 1828, in keeping with period designations. By whatever terminology, this is a good example of the government’s effort to upgrade older arms to keep up with arms development, the introduction of percussion ignition in particular.

Moller gives the total production of these muskets at Springfield for calendar year 1839 as 12,800, and Schmidt notes that 10,000 were delivered into store. With the adoption of the percussion system of ignition in the Model 1842, these were among the roughly 1,000,000 flintlock muskets and rifles in government arsenals that suddenly became outmoded. Being manufactured after 1831, however, these were deemed first-class arms for conversion and were even exempt from inspection beforehand unless issued or damaged. Machinery for the alterations was fabricated at Harpers Ferry, completed in January to June 1848, and one of six sets was sent to Springfield, where alterations began in the July – September quarter of 1849. By the end of 1851 that facility had altered 113,406 muskets, about three-quarters of which were Model 1816s. For details interested parties are referred to Moller and to Schmidt.

This is full length, with all original parts in place, including bands, springs, swivels and ramrod. The front sight/ bayonet lug is in place and the barrel, correctly, lacks a rear sight. The metal is a thin brown with a little bit of freckling showing on the top of the barrel fore and aft of the middle band and a couple small rub spots showing gray forward of the hammer and on the breechplug tang. The wood to metal fit is tight. The wood is a good, deep brown, shows various handling dings and scratches on the butt flats and counterpane, one deeper scratch on the right forestock between the upper bands, and two short hairlines near the buttplate on the right, but has good edges and sharp markings, like the metal.

The markings in both metal and wood are crisp. The barrel proofs at left are, bottom to top: “V”/[eagle head]/”P” (raised letter in sunken oval.” The date on the breechplug tang is 1839.

The lock is crisply stamped “SPRING/FIELD/1839” at rear and with the Springfield type eagle (with raised wing tips as appropriate from 1837) over “U.S.” with the stamp showing just some rubbing to the eagle’s left wing (to viewer’s right,) likely from the alteration process, which involved removing the flintlock parts and grinding the brass flashpan flush with the plate. The “US” on the buttplate tang is sharp as well. The markings in the wood have some handling dings, but are sharp fully legible. The counterpane is stamped with script “EB” in an oval of Elizur Bates at top and forward, the script TW in oval of Thomas Warner at lower rear. Bates had been Master Armorer at Springfield from 1834, but was replaced by Warner in 1837 when the Van Buren administration came into power. He had been made an inspector of contract arms, but apparently worked as an inspector at Springfield between assignments on that duty. The underside of the stock bears the “AH” in oval stamp of Asahel (sometimes “Asabel” in secondary sources) Hubbard, a civilian employee at Springfield whose mark is found on Springfield and contract arms. Lastly, between Hubbard’s stamp and the triggerguard there is a small “IFW” stamp in block letters. These two marks appear next to one another also on an 1836 dated Springfield 1816 conversion sold at auction in October 2019, but to our knowledge “IFW” is as yet unidentified. See Daum and Pate, as well as Schmidt for detailed background on these inspectors. Action functions well; bore is dark.

This is a very good example of a Springfield-made .69 caliber musket that would look great in an early-war long arms or infantry display. It would look especially good with an appropriate bayonet. [sr] [ph:L]

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