1816 Springfield type 3

[Richard E. Schenk]

If you look at the wood just ahead of the flint cock, you will see two numbers stamped into the wood. These are the assembly numbers that were applied to all the stocks and the new percussion hammers when these were converted to percussion.

Thanks for this info. I did not know about these numbers. It will give me something else to look for in evaluating possible reconversions.

 

[UCVRelics]

As usual Great Input to a Great Thread.

 

[James Brenner]

I did not see an Ohio mark. If it's there, that indicates that the stock was stamped sometime after October 1863.

 

[zburkett]

Lanyard puller, you mentioned funkey Confederate conversions. Do you have an idea of where I could get a look at them. I have a converted, not very good shape 1816 I paid relic price for but would find it very interesting if to get an idea of who and when it was converted.

 

[drm2m]

James Brenner,

Here is a photo showing the OHIO stock marking.
From what I have read ---I suspect that this is a rather complicated subject.

Some of the other markings.

 

[Lanyard Puller]

[QUOTE="funkey Confederate conversions. Do you have an idea of where I could get a look at them[/QUOTE]

It would be a very thick book, I'm afraid. A lot of conversions can be identified by period documents and ID'ed guns. Photos of the well known conversions appear in a large number of reference books, but not the more obscure small-lot conversions.
It wasn't that hard to do.
That's a good/bad thing... Good for those of us who are searching for them, and bad for researchers.
This is way off topic so really, to answer your question. No one has yet accepted the major challenge of a book.

 

[brcampbe]

A few of the southern arsenals had 1816s converted to percussion in small lots antebellum, but the number was very small compared to the large arsenals in the north. Here's one such example done at the Richmond Arsenal, now in the Springfield Armory museum:

"In the collections of the Springfield Armory Museum is a U.S. Model 1822 flintlock musket from M.T. Wickham's early contract (undated) altered to percussion with a three-faceted, brazed bolster and new percussion hammer. The innendoubtedly was one of the 160 Wickham muskets reported in store at the Richmond Arsenal in 1859." - Murphy & Madaus

See, Murphy & Madaus. CONFEDERATE RIFLES & MUSKETS: INFANTRY SMALL ARMS MANUFACTURED IN THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY 1861-1865, pg. 570.

Also another here, also in the Springfield museum called a "Robinson conversion." These were done in 1861-1862 and were probably the best Confederate conversions:

http://ww2.rediscov.com/spring/VFPC...g/DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=11063,DATABASE=objects,

 

[originalrebelyell]

Lanyard puller, you mentioned funkey Confederate conversions. Do you have an idea of where I could get a look at them. I have a converted, not very good shape 1816 I paid relic price for but would find it very interesting if to get an idea of who and when it was converted.

Post a photo of it please.

 

[James Brenner]

The quick answer about the Ohio mark is that the state began marking its property after the Ordnance Department transferred about 27,000 second and third class muskets to Ohio in September 1863. Prior to that time, Ohio did not mark its public property and accountability was a huge issue. For example, between 1808 and 1860, the federal government issued Ohio almost 28,000 muskets and 7,000 rifles. Unfortunately, the state legislature failed to appropriate money for armories or require company commanders to post bond for weapons issued. When the war began, the state could account for only 2,767 muskets and 406 rifles. Ohio was able to collect an additional 1,326 weapons from across the state, but they all went to arming the 3-month and 3-year volunteers. As the soldiers departed for the front, they took these weapons with them - which were now the property of the US government. When Governor Dennison gave his State of the State address in January 1862, he lamented the fact that Ohio had few weapons with which to defend its borders. The siege of Cincinnati, Clement Vallandigham and the copperheads, Morgan's raid, and the presence of two POW camps proved Dennison right. In September 1863, the government transferred second and third class US and foreign made muskets to the state with which to arm the National Guard. It was with this transfer that the state started marking its property; not only small arms, but leather goods as well. While the order directing this marking has yet to be found, the state arsenal listed in its 1863 inventory two OHIO. (note period) stamps. The markings continued until the 1870s when serial numbered weapons were issued to the state.

I realize that's not a really quick answer, but that's pretty much the gist of it.

I hope this helps.

 

[drm2m]

Thanks James.

 

[Jobe Holiday]

I have observed that there are two distinctly different "OHIO" stamps. The one shown above is one type with sharply cut letters in narrow lines; the other is wide flat faced letters that impress the word "OHIO" rather than cut them into the wood.
J.