If you do a Google search using original m1842 springfield value, you will get a number of “hits,” including a link to a thread on this forum and a link to an article by the NRA in their “I Have This Old Gun” series. Based on what I found from a quick review of reliable sites, I would suggest an assessed value range of $1,400 - $1,800 for a gun in the fair to good range, on up to $4,500 - $5,000 for one in excellent condition. I would agree that the subject gun appears to have been refinished, which will reduce its collector value but I don’t know how much. If you are a shooter, as opposed to a collector, this can work to your advantage. Based on those two photos, I think it’s a nice looking musket. Despite the refinish, it looks pretty much complete. If the lock and trigger are functional and the bore can be cleaned up without too much effort, I would offer $950 for a start, and would be prepared to pay up to $1,500. I have handled, disassembled, and reassembled a few original Springfield and Harper’s Ferry guns and I believe to my soul the originals are better guns than the reproductions, especially the locks, yet the repros often sell for more.
if you want it to shoot and it is in fact as good as it looks in the photos, I would consider anything up to $1,500 a good price. However, I am not an expert and I have no qualifications to make that assessment. It’s just my opinion.
Best regards,
Notchy Bob
