1847 Harper's Ferry Musket

[guad42]

Last year I recieved my reproduction M1842 smoothbore with a Harper's Ferry marked lockplate with the year 1844. I have a question though, I notice that a number of my comrades carry '42s with the low profile front sight blade on the top or #1 barrel band. Mine however does not have any sights. Were some '42s made with a fixed front sight, while others were not? Is there some difference here regarding the manufacturer?

Sam Kilborn Dolan

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Hallo!

The M1842 had a rounded brass "blade" front sight on the forward strap of the double loop barrel band.
The repro has this feature as just a cast steel simulation.

My guess is, that someone tried to so-called "de-farb" it, and filed off the steel front sight and either stopped there- or perhaps soldered a brass replacement on which has since been knocked off or fallen off before you received it.

(I lost a brass one at McDowell once....)

IMHO, the best way to deal with this is make the front sight with a post that goes down into a hole drilled into the barel band and that is peened/mushroomed underneath (in a manner in which 18th century longrifle sights were made). Then when the brass blade is soldered in place- it is not going anywhere...)

Curt

[guad42]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Actually, I recieved it new, without front sight. I was told recently by a friend that it is possible that some of the Harper's Ferry '42s were actually minus the sight, but I have no proof of this.

Sam Kilborn Dolan

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Hallo!

Could you please post a picture of this?

I do not see the Italians grinding off the front sight from the one piece casting...

Thanks!

And no, historically Harpers Ferry did not make M1842's with and without front sights. Here is a picture of an original M1842 above, and a modified repro below:


Curt

[guad42]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Image should be attached. I traded for this musket, I believe it's origins are Loyalist.

Sam Dolan

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Loyalist, eh? That explains a thing or two.

Curt,
That is one friggin' nice original '42!!!! I love pics in posts! "A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words"

[guad42]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Well what can I say, it was a trade.

SK Dolan

[guad42]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Okay, does anyone sell replacement barrell bands with sights?

SK Dolan

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Hallo!

"The crime is solve- ed." -Inspector Clouseau

Me too, John! And here is another:


Curt
Who keeps forgetting about Loyalist Arms, et al Mess

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Curt,
Is that an original hammer I see on the repop? It looks like one of the taller Harpers Ferry variety. Also, it looks as though you did some stock reshaping(?). Very nice!

[Jim Mayo]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Nevermind, I put my glasses on and the stud is there.


Doesn't appear to have a bayonet stud either.

[cpinkhaminsc]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Blockade Runner sells the front band with brass sight. I think he gives a small trade-in for your plain one. Have no experience dealing with him though.
My buddies and I bought a batch of the repro's when they first came out. I brazed new sights on all of them. Most of us reshaped the stocks quite a bit and thinned and tapered the buttplates. Then I found a rifled original for $75!!! which I had Bill Large stretch and reline the barrel, got new forearm, upper band, and repro sight, for another $450. So I sold the repro to Doug Cooper. But that was years ago, and I digress.
The other thing you'll need is a new ramrod, some of the early aftermarket "smoothbore" style ones were crap and subsequently broke. Get a new one with a solid tip from Lodgewood Mfg, he can also get you a new hammer. With a bit of work, your gun can look like the one pictured in the thread. (Very nice rework, Curt!)
Charles Pinkham
Minnesota First, Company D

[Craig L Barry]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

You can tell the Armi Sport US 1842 repro from an original by the slightly mis-shaped trigger guard. The original that they copied apparently had some damage to that part, and they copied it exactly. This is a quick way to pick out the repro from a mile away.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Hallo!

The "rifled and sighted" repro is a Pedersoli, and belonged to my late friend. So, I canot take any credit for it.
But, the hammer is "out of the box as it came, Pedersoli."

Mine was a standard M1842, also by Pedersoli, but "de-farbed" to include a swapped out mint original 1853 dated Springfield made lock.
Unforunately, I sold it a few years back, and then a virus got through the expensive, fancy-schmancy impossible to get through, anti-virus protection and corrupted or ate about 1/3 of my photo reference library of originals and reproductions. Sigh. Including my "M1842 " pics.

Curt

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: 1842 Harper's Ferry Musket

Pedersoli!?!? I didn't know they ever made '42's!

That hammer clearly looks like a much better reproduction hammer than the stock Armi Sport/Taylor's hammer (here's a pic from an old thread of an Armi Sport).


I thought it was an original HF hammer mostly because of the taller cocking piece.