Help identifying old Springfield rifle

[Cosette]

Hello, I'm trying to correctly identify an old rifle given to me and I've exhausted my research abilities. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated! what I think this is: A Springfield Model 1812 conversion made in 1815. I have seen mention of Types I, II, & III but have no idea which type this is. Is it of any value or just a nice decorative piece? Thank you!

 

[CMWinkler]

Welcome.

 

[Patrick H]

Welcome from Missouri. That's a very interesting weapon and I'll bet you'll get some good information in short order.
Suggestion: Post your pictures in the weapons forum. It's likely that more of the rifle and musket experts will see it there. Or, maybe the moderator will move it for you.

 

[Lnwlf]

Patrick is right. Since I find Cosette is now a member in good standing, I find no reason it should not be moved from Unregistered Guest to the Civil War Weapons and Ammunition Forum. So, here we are!
Welcome Cosette.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I feel like the rifle will be identified before the day's up.
Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

 

[wayne jackson]

welcome fromTEXAS

 

[MRB1863]

Welcome from Pennsylvania! What a great gift!!!!

 

[CheathamHill]

1812 Type-2 Flintlock converted to percussion. Would love to see the other side of the rifle and or any other barrel markings or stock stamped cartouches if there are any. Nice piece.

Here is a pre-conversion '15

 

[chellers]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

 

[Gandycreek]

Welcome. Nice piece.

 

[Cosette]

Hello,
Thank you for the warm welcomes and information! Here are 5 more photos, the other side and close ups of markings, a couple I'm not even sure if they are markings...and while I have your attention, as you can see, it looks like tiny paint splatters all over it, as if someone painted something nearby without covering the rifle. My guess it that it had been hanging on a wall for many many years, it was extremely dusty. I know not to clean it, but can anything be done to remove that paint? Oil or? Also, all I know of the history is that it was bought in an antique store somewhere in Bucks County PA in the 1950's.

 

[CheathamHill]

The 'V' is the proof mark.
Some more info for you from an example in the Springfield Armory Museum:

U.S. MUSKET MODEL 1812 TYPE I SPRINGFIELD ARMORY FLINTLOCK .69
Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. in 1814 - Standard Model 1812 single-shot, muzzleloading, flintlock musket. Iron furniture. Metal parts finished bright. Three bands, spring fastened with upper band double-strapped with brass blade front on lower strap. All three band springs located behind bands. Button head shaped ramrod. Cheek recess left side of butt. Bayonet lug top of barrel approximately 1 1/2" from muzzle. Weapon weighs approximately 9 3/4 lbs. Generally patterned after the M1777 French flintlock musket. Adopted as standard on December 8, 1812, by order of the War Department. This is one of 7,379 weapons manufactured in 1815.

I would say that you have come into possession of a somewhat rare weapon, Considering less than 7500 were made in 1815, and who knows how many of those exist today, conversion or not. Yours has some furniture missing from it, to go along w/ the condition. Still AWESOME!
(I'm pretty sure yours is the type-2 although most of those are stamped 1816..)

 

[Patrick H]

Wow! undamaged screw slots, stock cartouche still clear. Not too much rust and the metal stampings are deep and clear. Very nice old weapon. I'll bet someone can advise you on how to remove those paint spots without doing harm. I agree with you--it looks like someone painted a ceiling with a roller without moving this nice old firearm out of the way.

 

[Specster]

Welcome and nice weapon.

 

[hanna260]

No clue about your weapon (which looks really neat, by the way) but welcome! I like your avatar.

 

[Jobe Holiday]

Here is my unsolicited advice: Leave the "paint splatters" alone! They are the one true sign that the musket is untouched. I have been involved in the antique arms field for some 55 years and you wouldn't believe how many old original arms turn up with white paint freckles! The first thing everyone does is work very hard to remove them, and many times that is the beginning of the downward spiral to over cleaning an antique arm. Removing the paint freckles will usually disturb the rich patina on the stock. Whenever my handful of old friends find an arm with white paint freckles they will invariably say "Now, there's a good untouched antique!" From all appearances the arm is in a stable condition with no active rust, etc. At this point all you should do is gently wipe the dirt & dust off the arm, hang it back up on a wall, and enjoy it!

I will give you a brief explanation of how things got freckled with white paint, as provided to me by a long deceased great-aunt who had been born in the 1880's. It came about in the late 1950's when I asked her why the Kentucky rifle she had hanging on the wall had small white paint spots on it. She laughed and said it was from painting the ceiling. She saw I was puzzled, and expanded her explanation by saying that because the coal oil lamps produced soot which eventually darkened the ceiling it had to be repainted on a regular basis, and white paint reflected the light back down into the room. She said they would roll the rug, cover the furniture, and remove anything that was hanging on the walls. But, one time "Lazy Uncle Jake" left the rifle hanging on the wall and it got freckled with the white ceiling paint!
J.

 

[Cosette]

Hi All,
Thank you so much for the great information! I really appreciate the paint story Jobe, it came with three beautiful powder horns and they have matching freckles which I suppose is some proof they all belong together! That never would have occured to me. Plus you saved me countless hours and a manicure picking off all of those spots

 

[63springfield]

Welcome from another newbie and congrats on your 200 year old US musket . Well new to ACW stuff but not collecting . A good double pointed wooden toothpick and a soft toothbrush would get rid of much of the caked dirt-dust in the screw slots - gaps and joints and not disturb the patina . Your call of course and also I like oil on my guns .

 

[Cosette]

Thanks for the tips, this is a fun learning experience--and to Hanna, my avatar is fitting here since I've jumped down quite a rabbit hole with this piece!

 

[Jobe Holiday]

Cosette - Powder horns are another favorite of mine. I don't think anyone would mind if you would care to share photos of them with us! I have a fair amount of experience with powder horns and would be happy to tell you anything I can about them. I will say in advance, though sometimes it just goes like this: "Yep, its a powder horn!"
J.