Springfield Armory model of 1840

[Buckeyeguy]

Just recently found the site and this is my first post. I thought you might enjoy this one from my collection. I found this at the Ohio Gun Collector Association show back in 2010. The gun is a original .69 caliber model of 1840 Musket made at the Springfield Armory. Essentially the last of the muskets based on the French Charleville it was also the last of the flintlock weapons made by the US Government. Most were converted to percussion cap, and rifled with two grooves, so to find a example that is still a smoothbore flintlock is a delight. From the Mexican War to the US Civil War I am humbled by the history that passed before this gun.

In the first shot you can see the lock, dated 1841. You can also tell the previous owner polished off all the patina. He is big on Flitz now but listed off every thing he had used over the 60 plus years he owned it... pity but it did keep it from rusting, he has vaseline in the barrel, which is in beautiful shape. The fellow was well up in his 80s and bought the gun at an OGCA show in 1947. He could barely carry it, with a tremor in his hands as he passed it to me to look at... Sadly none of his kids had an interest in his antique guns. I hope my children will be more appreciative of such treasure.

Shot two shows the top, if you look hard you will again see the 1841 date, as well as the Springfield Eagle and the Verified Proof stamp.

 

[Buckeyeguy]

A full length shot.

 

[Buckeyeguy]

Apologies, I should have posted this in smoothbore.

 

[Artificer]

Though the previous owner polished the Iron/Steel too much, at least it seems he did not damage the wood? However, at the time the previous owner purchased the gun, some folks thought that Flitz cloth was a good way to polish/preserve the metal, so that is understandable.

It seems I remember reading one main change to this Model over the M1832/35 was the barrel was deliberately made heavier/thicker from the outset - as they were looking forward to later rifling of these Muskets when they were first manufactured?

When I joined the U.S. International Muzzle Loading Team as the Team Armourer in the Spring of 1996, one team member was shooting an original/unaltered Flintlock M1840, though I do don't remember the date from the lock plate. I was stunned at how close to original "Armory New" that musket was. That Musket was also extremely accurate.

I don't know if this was a common problem with the M1840, but the Top Jaw Screw on that Musket snapped in half the first full day we were in Coventry to attend the World Championships at Wedgnock, Midlands, UK. This even when the owner had fired it many times without problems and he was only getting a new flint in place for the practice session before the Matches began, when the original screw broke.

Gus

 

[Loyalist Dave]

the Top Jaw Screw on that Musket snapped in half the first full day we were in Coventry to attend the World Championships

Murphy's Law, OR as the Germans once put it back in the flintlock days...,

"Alle Kunst ist umsonst Wenn ein Engel in das Zündloch Prunst.”

All skill is for nothing when an Angel pișșɛș in your touchhole.

LD

 

[Artificer]

Dave,

Murphy wasn't only up to his normal tricks, he was doing one of those high speed Spanish Foot stomping dances all over us the first two days. :haha:

We had jet lag when we arrived and then a 2 ½ bus ride to Coventry. Then at the Hotel we found the “lift” was downright tiny and would only accommodate about two people with regular luggage. That meant with all the guns/gear we had, it was a one person ride at a time ”“ so it took forever to get up to the rooms and stow our gear. I had just gotten to my room and heated some water for swiss mocha coffee and was looking forward to relaxing a bit before a walking tour around Historic Coventry (to help get over jet lag) and then a good supper. Then came a knock on the door and the Team Captain told me the Hogdon representative had missed his plane and would be arriving somewhere between 8-9 PM back at Heathrow and needed a ride. The Team driver had the team rental vehicle, but wanted someone to go with him to keep him awake and would I go with him? OK, so he and I go back to Heathrow, the Hogdon guy’s plane is late and all there is to eat is eggs and bacon at the Airport. He finally arrived and off we go back the 2 ½ hours to Coventry. Missed the exit, wound up in Birmingham in a college area and got directions back from a “roach coach” that only sold scrambled eggs. However, Coventry was not a Roman Town, so it was laid out in circles and rebuilt that way after it was bombed in WWII. Spent an hour driving around town lost before we found a 7-11 and a guy who let us in (they normally only did drive through service at night) and we finally got directions back to the Hotel. Arrived around 3 AM.

Didn’t wake up till shortly after noon, but the Electrician we requested to see did show up on time to see what adaptor I would need for my Handy Grinder. However, he couldn’t come up with the correct power adaptor. The Hotel put on a fine Supper Buffet, so at last got a good meal. We adjourned to the Hotel Pub and since I don’t drink, no Mountain Dew, but asked for Lemonade and got a Lemon Lime bottled Soda, which was OK. At what would become a nightly social gathering in the Parking Lot with our Team and the Australian Team, later on my very worried Team Mate informed me he was trying to fit a new flint and that Top Jaw Screw had snapped in two.

I had strongly requested that arrangements be previously be made to rent an Oxy Acetylene Torch Set for the match, because I wasn't allowed to bring mine on the Airlines. Well, no torch set was available or I would have silver soldered the original Top Jaw screw back to one piece. The only thing they got me two days later was a propane torch, but it did help on a couple emergency repairs.

Having been a Team Armorer up to and including National Competition for both Muzzleloading and Modern Competition, I had brought a large container of repair parts and had purchased some I normally did not stock, just in case something would go wrong. Track of the Wolf and Dixie both really helped me out by giving me a dealer discount for the latter parts. On a last minute guess, I had purchased different sizes of repro Top Jaw Screws. One of them was for a “M1816” Musket. I informed the owner of the M1840 Musket and went back up to the room to get it and a pair of dial calipers, while he brought the broken top piece of the Top Jaw Screw and Musket to my room. Thank Heaven the repro screw was very close, BUT the screw thread was modern and did not match the original. I then informed the owner I would have strongly preferred to repair the original Top Jaw Screw, but had no idea IF AND WHEN I could get my hands on an Oxy Acetylene Torch. I told him I really did not like to do it, but I could re-tap the original Cock for the modern screw threads on the Repro Top Jaw Screw. He was immensely relieved I could do something and told me to go ahead. Took a bit of work to get the busted lower section of the old screw out of the cock, but the threaded hole tapped fairly easy and the repro screw worked fine. The Owner won the Gold Medal in the Miquelet Match with that repaired M1840 Musket and won a Gold Medal with it two years later at the World Championships in an Aggregate Match, that I don’t remember the name of the match.

I had joked before going to the Match that as a Team Armourer, I would do “Day and Night, 24 Hour Gunsmithing” in case anything went wrong with the Team’s Guns. This was the first of three times I would stay up late working on Team Guns in my hotel room on that trip.

Gus