Home Login Sign Up My Account Browse Links Logout How to Consign   Ward's Bid Sheet   Rules

Winning Bid US $1329 First bid $1000 Quantity 1 # of bids 7 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2025-07-28 00:00:00 Ended 2025-11-21 22:35:25

RARE!! FIRST YEAR MFG, Harpers Ferry, M1816 Musket (Type I), Cal: .69, MFG: 1819 , S/N: None, Percussion musket, 42'' barrel.

HISTORY: The US would start out with the Springfield Model 1795 as their first locally produced long longarm. Based heavily on the French Model 1763 & 1766 model Charleville muskets which were used during the revolutionary wear & was the most common military arm in US inventory at the time numbering over 20,000 being made at both Springfield & Harpers Ferry. They would be used during the War 1812 where shortcomings of both the design & manufacturing process reviled themselves leading to the development of the model 1812. The model 1812 was only made at Springfield with Harpers Ferry continuing production of the Model 1795. Around 30,000 were made before the next updated version came out in 1816, this continued simplifying the design & manufacturing process & look just like model 1812's but with a longer lock plate, shorter trigger guard, a more straight-line stock, & a longer bayonet. Production at Springfield would start in 1816, but Harpers Ferry would start in 1819. Harpers Ferry would only make 3,000 M1816 muskets in 1819. The M1816 would serve as the base for the next couple US musket models with the Models 1822 & 1835 sometimes referred to as M1816 Type II, & M1816 type III respectively with the first run of M1816 being denoted the Type I. Over 700,000 were made between 1816-1844 at Springfield, Harper Ferry, & other private contractors, the most produced US flintlock musket. Many of these would later be converted to percussion & used during the Civil war, mainly by the Confederates at the beginning. Some were even rifled later on, but most were left as smoothbores. Rifling the bores made the barrel walls thinner & on the older guns, most of the barrels were too thin to convert to a rifle & still safely shoot. The model 1840 Musket, which was still a smoothbore flintlock, was produced with a thicker barrel in anticipation of them being rifled later on & these were the majority of the smoothbore that got made into rifles. This musket is one of the first 3,000 M1816 made at Harpers Ferry & still in all original configuration while being in excellent condition compared to other surviving examples.

CONDITION: The straight wrist black walnut stock is very good near excellent with small nicks, dings, & scratches from use/age. There is a arsenal wood chunk chip repair at the top left of the wrist, & another smaller chip repair on the bottom of the stock, just behind the rear barrel band. Metal is slightly proud to the wood at the toe. Left flat of the stock marked ''3'', ''V'' over ''AT'', & two inspectors' initial cartouches, ''AB'' & ''GM'' for Armistead Beckham & George Mallery respectively. On the left side of the wrist marked ''V''. Bottom of the wrist marked ''I'', & a faded ''A''. Belly of the stock marked ''MM''. The metal appears to have been cleaned/buffed at some point. Metal is gun metal gray with speckled dark patina across the barrel & barrel bands; some dark patina presents on the lock. The left side of the barrel marked ''V'' over ''P'' over a eagle's head, one small tool punch mark just to the right of the eagle's head stamp, & at the top a ''P'' over ''26'' mark. The ''P 26'' marking is a storekeeper's mark, stamped after production but before being issued, acted as a rack number. The barrel tang is marked ''1819''. The lock plate is marked ''HARPERS'' over ''FERRY'' over ''1819'', & a American great eagle. The upper extension of the buttplate marked ''US''. The bore is very good. It's bright with some striations from firing & a couple spots of roughness nearing the end of the muzzle. The front barrel band holds a brass front sight. The stock carries a iron buttplate, has scattered dark patina & light roughness. Musket has both sling loops & ram rod. Mechanical function appears fine. Solid audible clicks into half & full-cock, trigger drops hammer freely with no binding. Antique/Muzzleloader, No FFL Req. - Value: 2000 to 5000

(Move around the image by clicking and dragging. Zoom with your scroll wheel)

Payment Details See Payment Instructions and item description, or contact seller for more information.

Payment Instructions See item description or contact seller for more information.

Price

RARE!! FIRST YEAR MFG, Harpers Ferry, M1816 Musket (Type I), Cal... Item # 4430 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $1329

How to Pay If you would like to expedite your payment, please send us an email or give us a call informing us that you would like your invoice emailed to you. If we do not hear from you one of two things will happen: A.) If you signed up and asked us to bill your credit card & ship all items ASAP then that is what we will do. No further notice will be sent. B.) If you signed up and wanted to send us a check, then your invoice will be mailed to you after we figure the shipping. (Please note: If you want to speed this up just send us an email after the auction)

Return to Home Page