Even before the official adoption of the 1855 series of arms the Ordnance Department was upgrading older .69 caliber muskets by rifling them. Some 44,000 are known to have been rifled or both rifled and provided with rear sights starting in June 1855 at several arsenals. These were widely issued to early war volunteers until production of .58 rifle muskets began to catch up in 1863, but many were brought out of storage with the call for 500,000 more troops in July 1864.

This is a good example of a rifled Model 1842. It is not possible to completely separate out the M1842s from older .69 caliber conversions that were rifled, but the greater pressures resulting from firing .69 Minie balls proved the M1842s preferable and Moller identifies 20,076 of the “percussion muskets” that were simply rifled at U.S. armories or arsenals from 1857 through 1859 as certainly or probably M1842s like this one, plus another estimated 8,000 altered by the state of Ohio in late 1861.

This is complete and all original. It has good mechanics, with a tight action, and good rifling with the bore showing a light gray patina and some light salt-and-peppering. The lock and barrel have matching 1847 dates. The metal has been cleaned and shows shallow pitting on the buttplate, upper band, lock screw and some areas of the barrel, but the lock is smooth, with slightly mottled caramel color from old case hardening and the markings are crisp. The V/P/[eaglehead] barrel proofs at left breech are very good. The barrel date is slightly soft, but distinct and fully legible. Some light, shallow corrosion on the breech and bolster are from the effects of firing percussion caps, indicating this was actually used. The wood shows good color, but with natural rounding to edges from handling and the cartouches are no longer visible. The wood has a good fit to the metal. The buttstock shows some lengthwise hairlines from the buttplate forward on either side, but is solid and stable.

This is great example of an early war rifled musket that would display nicely with one of the .69 Caliber spherical ball cartridge boxes and a M1842 bayonet.    [sr] [ph:L]

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