Name/Title
Springfield Percussion .69 Caliber MusketEntry/Object ID
2015.W.01.01Description
Springfield 1849 musket rifle owned by Reuben Osborn and used on his farm for hunting. The lock plate is marked "SPRINGFIELD 1849" in addition to the Federal Eagle stamp and "U.S."
Probably built at the Springfield, Mass.Armory and made with interchangeable parts. Armors in the field of battle would rebuild guns. Likely issued to a Union soldier.
You would put a copper cap on top of the nipple of the percussion and when the hammer strikes the percussion cap it would ignite the chamber and push the pellet out the front.
This Model 1842 US Percussion Musket .69 Caliber is one of approximately
172,000 produced at Springfield Armory between 1844 and 1855, this example
being dated 1849. This firearm represents an interesting transition period in the
development of US military small arms. This model was the first to be produced at
both the Springfield and Harpers ferry arsenals with fully interchangeable parts. It
is the first US arsenal design to utilize a Percussion Cap instead of a Flintlock to
ignite the charge that would propel the projectile. The percussion cap was a great
improvement in reliability, particularly in bad weather. It is the last US military
design to have a smoothbore, rather than a rifled bore. While a smoothbore was
faster to reload, accuracy was very limited. A rifled bore has spiral grooves cut
into the bore causing the projectile to spin which stabilizes the flight path (much
like a well thrown football spins smoothly), greatly increasing range and accuracy.
Because this model is not rifled, they were only in use about a decade before they
were obsolete for military use. Many like this example had the long wood stocks
shortened and went on to serve as civilian hunting muskets or shotguns for many
decades or even several generations.
Citations: Flayerman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms 9th edition, Page 564
The U.S. Armory and Arsenal at Springfield (1777-1968) and Harpers Ferry (1795-1862) were the primary manufactures of United States military firearms. The 1842 Springfield Muzzle-loader was manufactured and used during the 19th century. Along with usage during the Mexican-American War in 1846 to 1848, these rifles were owned by local militia all over the pre-Civil War and at the outbreak of the Union and Confederate Armies.
Bob Shaw: All gun powder before 1900 was black powder. Someone was able to see where the shot came from because of the cloud of dust where it was fired.Dimensions
Height
7 inDepth
2 inLength
48 inRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Osborn, ReubenRelated Entries
Notes
1996.W.02, 1996.W.10, 2005.W.01, 2023.W.FIC.01
