1816 musket

[Rhinevalleylad]

Greetings from over the pond.

Well today,I do have a question.

I own an original 1816 musket (1837 Harpers Ferry - converted via cone in barrel)
Pedersoli offers the one and only Repro flintlock with a 1816 Harpers Ferry Lockplate.
Does anybody know when production for the 1816 flintlock started at HF ??

For the 42 musket as far as I know they started at HF in 1843 (right ?) and at Springfield in 1844 (with a production rate of nearly 7.000 for the first year).

But what about the 1816 musket ? If I remember well there is a 1816 stamped lockplate in the museum in springfield

Kind regards

Ingo Rolletter
5th Va inf (Germany)

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: 1816 musket

Overall, the US M1816 musket didn't go into production until 1822. So, a "1816" dated musket is likely the US M1812. Here is a picture of a percussion conversion US M1812 Musket:

http://historical.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=6015&Lot_No=57502

I hope this is helpful!

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1816 musket

Hallo!

Genau...

In brief and to over-generalize...

In June of 1815, Chief of Ordnance Decius Wadsworth wrote to the Secretary of War complaining about the "want of a model or established pattern of a musket in our several armories, public and private" led to a seven year effort to establish a formal superior weapon.

In 1816 or 1817 depending upon the source, six prototype muskets were made at Springfield Armory for distribution to Harpers Ferry Armory and several cotractors as "pattern pieces" or models for the new design.

This went astray as Springfield, Harpers Ferry, and contractors added improvements and changes after the prototypes were received. Further changes and negotiations with the contractors continued until 1822 when a "final" design was agreed upon. (So-called by hobbyists and collectors as
M1816 Type I's)
Thirty new protypes were made as "Model 1822's" and distributed. (So-called M1816 Type II's) which were made between 1822 and 1831.
And lastly the final version the so-called "M1816 TYpe III" made from 1831 until 1844. (Due to the 1840's inventory and reduction of old and obsolete patterns, many/most of the percussion conversion M1822's are found on the "Type III's."

In brief and to over-generalize...

Curt

[FloridaConscript]

Re: 1816 musket

Ingo,
Any way you can post pics of the cone in barrel conversion?

thanks,
Bryant Roberts

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: 1816 musket

Bryant
Attached are a number of original cone in barrel conversions.
Drew Gruber

[FloridaConscript]

Re: 1816 musket

Drew,
Thanks. Back when I was doing a good deal of research on the 1st 2nd 4th and 6th Florida battalions, I came across an account of the mechanics sand casting hammers and converting old flintlocks left over from the Seminole wars into conversion muskets.
those units were consolidated into the 9th 10th and 11th Fl and were shipped to Va in may of 1864 (with their .69 conversions) to fight in the overland campaign and then desert in massive numbers when it got cold!!

Bryant Roberts

[OldKingCrow]

Re: 1816 musket

Bryant you have suppport of Finegan's Brigade toting .69 conversions in 64 or earlier when they were the 2nd Florida Infantry ?

Please clarify...I do a 10th FL Inf - ANV 1864 LH impression based on my ancestor.

[FloridaConscript]

Re: 1816 musket

Chris,

I have a copy of Don Hillhouse's "Heavy Artillery and Light Infantry: A history of the 1st Florida Special Battalion & 10th Infantry Regiment CSA" and used to spend time with the author. He is the one that shared the account with me.
On page 66 " Charles Hopkins request for Ammunition dated Feb 20, gives an idea of the battalion's strength and armament just hours before going into battle. The requisition listed 15,000 rounds for the .69 caliber smoothbore muskets carried by the unit since it's inception"
The Battle he is referring to is Olustee, or Ocean Pond (as you know).

Now that is for the 1st Battalion, which merged with the 2nd battalion (i think), to become the 10th Fl Infantry (the paper work was completed in Va.)

The 6 companies of the 1st Batln along with 4 companies of the 2nd battalion formed the 10th Fl.
The 7 companies from the 6th fl battalion (along with 3 independent companies, 1 a conscript company) formed the 9th Fl regt. *This is where "FloridaConscript" comes from.
the 11th regt was formed from the 6 companies of the 4th btln, 2 companies from the 2nd btln, and one independent company.

Do you mean 2nd Fl Inf reg't or batln??

confused yet?

Bryant Roberts

[FloridaConscript]

Re: 1816 musket

Chris,
PS, cheers to you for doing Finegains brigade. For JV troops, they did pretty well at Cold Harbor and Reams Station.

Bryant Roberts/thinks Florida civil war stuff is cool

[OldKingCrow]

Re: 1816 musket

Levi Johns was my Grandmother's brother who went with the 10th in Co. A and was paroled with Marse Robert at Appomattox Courthouse. I use a m1842 for that impression. I am always keen to learn more on the specifics of these "piney wood rooters".

[Rhinevalleylad]

Re: 1816 musket

Thanks a lot,

well .....
The "recreated" Pedersoli is a 1816 musket Type I .
With all the other mistakes they (Pedersoli) made, it should have at least a Lockplate (if a Harpers Ferry one) starting with - at least - 1817.
Right ? Curt (and others)?

So if I understand you right, nobody has "output-datas" for the 1816 Typ I
made at Harpers Ferry Arsenal.:confused_

Mine, the original one, is a Typ III.


Again thanks a lot

Ingo Rolletter
5th VA Inf (Germany)