Recent Find Ramrod issues for 1842.

That's a nice lookin '42. Congrats. I have several rifled '42s and each has a different style rammer, to include one of foreign make so I think yours is legit.

I notice that your musket has the armory style rear sight. Usually, if Springfield Armory added the rear sight they also added a higher front sight. When you take off the front barrel band, is there a mortise milled in the top of the barrel? If so, that means that Springfield rifled your musket. The reason for the mortise was because the rivet securing the new sight extended downward and the mortise provided the clearance needed. If no mortise, the rifling was done at another armory.
There is a mortise.
74CDA809-5EC7-4EED-AB7E-6E6391C15694.jpeg
 
These 1842s had some hand fitting and adjustment, and you'll find slight differences in ramrod channel length.
I suspect yours has ancient dust or gunk packed into the bottom, and that can be removed.
This musket would have been smoothbore, and when rifled (and that rear sight added), the original ramrod was replaced by Springfield by a ramrod with a different head, meant to better fit the pointed head the minie bullet that would be used with a rifled 1842.
 
These 1842s had some hand fitting and adjustment, and you'll find slight differences in ramrod channel length.
I suspect yours has ancient dust or gunk packed into the bottom, and that can be removed.
This musket would have been smoothbore, and when rifled (and that rear sight added), the original ramrod was replaced by Springfield by a ramrod with a different head, meant to better fit the pointed head the minie bullet that would be used with a rifled 1842.
We’re some 1842s after being rifled giving a different front sight post or were just rear sights added?
 
A bit of info from College Hill Arsenal:


The US Model 1842 percussion infantry musket represented a major advancement in the production of US military small arms during the mid-19th​century. The M1842 was the first general issue US military long arm to utilize the percussion ignition system and was also the first general issue arm to be manufactured on the principle of fully interchangeable parts at both US arsenals. While the percussion ignition system had been introduced to the US military with the Model 1833 Hall-North Carbine and a few years later with the Model 1841 “Mississippi” Rifle, these arms were not widely issued and were reserved for specialty troops and state militia use. Likewise, the Harper’s Ferry produced Model 1819 Hall Rifle had been manufactured on the interchangeable parts principle since its introduction, but it was also a long gun that would see limited issuance and use, when compared to the infantry musket. The M1842 also had the distinction of the being the last general issue .69 caliber smoothbore weapon to be manufactured and issued to the US military and was superseded by the .58 caliber Model 1855 rifle muskets.



The design that would become the M1842 musket was initiated at the end of 1841, when the Chief of Ordnance requested that sample arms be forwarded for to the Ordnance Board for approval. The specification was simply that the current M-1840 flintlock musket be redesigned as a percussion ignition weapon, with as few changes as possible, to make the transition to production of the new musket as simple and quickly as possible. The US M1842 percussion musket went into production at the Springfield Arsenal in 1844; with 2,956 completed guns being delivered into stores that fiscal year (July 1, 1843-June 30, 1844). Production did not commence at Harper’s Ferry until 1845, with that armory delivered 2,225 arms into store during fiscal year 1845 (July 1, 1844 to June 30, 1845). The M1842 muskets remained in production until 1855, with Springfield Armory producing 165,970 and Harpers Ferry producing 106,629, making the total production for the M1842 musket 272,599. In January of 1855, as the Ordnance Department contemplated the authorization of what would become the new Model 1855 Rifle Musket, Colonel Craig of the Ordnance Department contacted the Saint Louis Arsenal, requesting that the arsenal “…prepare a few barrels for long ranges, also the ammunition…”, he further noted that the barrels should be rifled with a twist of “…about one revolution in 6 ½ feet.”. In March of 1855, Colonel Craig requested that both Springfield Arsenal and Harper’s Ferry should begin rifling M1842 muskets, with the addition of long-range rear sights and with the ramrods altered by recessing their tips to accept conical profile Minié pattern ammunition. Between 1855 and 1859 slightly less than 44,000 M1842 muskets were rifled at five US arsenals and armories, including the Springfield, and Harper’s Ferry armories, and the Saint Louis, Frankford and Benicia Arsenals. Of the 43,759 muskets rifled, 23,683 received long-range rear sights. The rifled and sighted alterations took place at both Harper’s Ferry and Springfield, as well as at Saint Louis and Frankford. Benicia Arsenal did not apply long-range rear sights to any of the guns that they altered. Between 1856 and 1859 Springfield rifled and sighted 9,929 M1842s, Harper’s Ferry rifled and sighted 11,060 M1842s. The Frankford Arsenal rifled and sighted 1,313 between 1857 and 1858 and the Saint Louis rifled and sighted 1,381 in 1857. There is some indication that the Ordnance Department attempted to add long range sights to the remaining rifled M1842s on hand when the Civil War erupted in 1861, as Springfield Armory superintendent Captain A.B. Dyer attempted to purchase “10,000 rear sights for percussion muskets which have been rifled” from the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. It appears possible that additional muskets may have been rifled during 1861 at Saint Louis Arsenal, and some of these may have received rear sights as well, as in March of 1861, the arsenal was seeking clarification from Harper’s Ferry regarding the location and positioning of the rear sight. Additionally, Frankford, Allegheny and Saint Louis Arsenals were authorized in mid-1861 to requisition rear sights from Springfield Arsenal, and on June 5, 1861 and least 500 “leaf sights” were shipped to Frankford Arsenal, with another 1,500 promised as soon as they could be produced. No records indicate whether these sights were installed on M1842 muskets or not, but it is reasonable to believe that they were. The M1842 musket saw significant use during the American Civil War and as late at the summer of 1864. A significant number, at least 25,000, were still in the field with US forces, and a similar (or possibly large number) were almost certainly still in service with the Confederacy. The fact that the US M1842 remained in service with the US government well into the war is underscored by the fact that government was forced to make inquiries with contractors to provide spare parts, ramrods and bayonets for the guns during 1864. As late as the 2nd​quarter of 1864, the Ordnance Department was still attempting to obtain the necessary parts to keep the M1842 muskets that were in the field in serviceable condition. Additional indications that a large quality of rifled M1842 remained in service late in the war is that the newly adopted Pattern of 1864 .69 cartridge box was sized to accept elongated ball (Minié) ammunition, rather than the shorter cartridges issued for smoothbore muskets. At least thirty US volunteer infantry regiments were armed or partially armed with rifled M1842 muskets, including the 59th​, 111th​, 114th​& 115th​Illinois, 20th​Kentucky, 9th​Maine, 21st​, 23rd​& 35th​Missouri, 47th​New York, 61st​Ohio, 11th​, 30th​, 31st​, 38th​, 79th​, 93rd​& 139th​Pennsylvania and the 1st​, 4th​, 10th​, 11th​, 19th​& 20th​Wisconsin. The ever-frugal US government kept thousands of US M1842 muskets in government stores until 1870, when they began to sell of the arms via auction.​
 
A bit of info from College Hill Arsenal:


The US Model 1842 percussion infantry musket represented a major advancement in the production of US military small arms during the mid-19th​century. The M1842 was the first general issue US military long arm to utilize the percussion ignition system and was also the first general issue arm to be manufactured on the principle of fully interchangeable parts at both US arsenals. While the percussion ignition system had been introduced to the US military with the Model 1833 Hall-North Carbine and a few years later with the Model 1841 “Mississippi” Rifle, these arms were not widely issued and were reserved for specialty troops and state militia use. Likewise, the Harper’s Ferry produced Model 1819 Hall Rifle had been manufactured on the interchangeable parts principle since its introduction, but it was also a long gun that would see limited issuance and use, when compared to the infantry musket. The M1842 also had the distinction of the being the last general issue .69 caliber smoothbore weapon to be manufactured and issued to the US military and was superseded by the .58 caliber Model 1855 rifle muskets.



The design that would become the M1842 musket was initiated at the end of 1841, when the Chief of Ordnance requested that sample arms be forwarded for to the Ordnance Board for approval. The specification was simply that the current M-1840 flintlock musket be redesigned as a percussion ignition weapon, with as few changes as possible, to make the transition to production of the new musket as simple and quickly as possible. The US M1842 percussion musket went into production at the Springfield Arsenal in 1844; with 2,956 completed guns being delivered into stores that fiscal year (July 1, 1843-June 30, 1844). Production did not commence at Harper’s Ferry until 1845, with that armory delivered 2,225 arms into store during fiscal year 1845 (July 1, 1844 to June 30, 1845). The M1842 muskets remained in production until 1855, with Springfield Armory producing 165,970 and Harpers Ferry producing 106,629, making the total production for the M1842 musket 272,599. In January of 1855, as the Ordnance Department contemplated the authorization of what would become the new Model 1855 Rifle Musket, Colonel Craig of the Ordnance Department contacted the Saint Louis Arsenal, requesting that the arsenal “…prepare a few barrels for long ranges, also the ammunition…”, he further noted that the barrels should be rifled with a twist of “…about one revolution in 6 ½ feet.”. In March of 1855, Colonel Craig requested that both Springfield Arsenal and Harper’s Ferry should begin rifling M1842 muskets, with the addition of long-range rear sights and with the ramrods altered by recessing their tips to accept conical profile Minié pattern ammunition. Between 1855 and 1859 slightly less than 44,000 M1842 muskets were rifled at five US arsenals and armories, including the Springfield, and Harper’s Ferry armories, and the Saint Louis, Frankford and Benicia Arsenals. Of the 43,759 muskets rifled, 23,683 received long-range rear sights. The rifled and sighted alterations took place at both Harper’s Ferry and Springfield, as well as at Saint Louis and Frankford. Benicia Arsenal did not apply long-range rear sights to any of the guns that they altered. Between 1856 and 1859 Springfield rifled and sighted 9,929 M1842s, Harper’s Ferry rifled and sighted 11,060 M1842s. The Frankford Arsenal rifled and sighted 1,313 between 1857 and 1858 and the Saint Louis rifled and sighted 1,381 in 1857. There is some indication that the Ordnance Department attempted to add long range sights to the remaining rifled M1842s on hand when the Civil War erupted in 1861, as Springfield Armory superintendent Captain A.B. Dyer attempted to purchase “10,000 rear sights for percussion muskets which have been rifled” from the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. It appears possible that additional muskets may have been rifled during 1861 at Saint Louis Arsenal, and some of these may have received rear sights as well, as in March of 1861, the arsenal was seeking clarification from Harper’s Ferry regarding the location and positioning of the rear sight. Additionally, Frankford, Allegheny and Saint Louis Arsenals were authorized in mid-1861 to requisition rear sights from Springfield Arsenal, and on June 5, 1861 and least 500 “leaf sights” were shipped to Frankford Arsenal, with another 1,500 promised as soon as they could be produced. No records indicate whether these sights were installed on M1842 muskets or not, but it is reasonable to believe that they were. The M1842 musket saw significant use during the American Civil War and as late at the summer of 1864. A significant number, at least 25,000, were still in the field with US forces, and a similar (or possibly large number) were almost certainly still in service with the Confederacy. The fact that the US M1842 remained in service with the US government well into the war is underscored by the fact that government was forced to make inquiries with contractors to provide spare parts, ramrods and bayonets for the guns during 1864. As late as the 2nd​quarter of 1864, the Ordnance Department was still attempting to obtain the necessary parts to keep the M1842 muskets that were in the field in serviceable condition. Additional indications that a large quality of rifled M1842 remained in service late in the war is that the newly adopted Pattern of 1864 .69 cartridge box was sized to accept elongated ball (Minié) ammunition, rather than the shorter cartridges issued for smoothbore muskets. At least thirty US volunteer infantry regiments were armed or partially armed with rifled M1842 muskets, including the 59th​, 111th​, 114th​& 115th​Illinois, 20th​Kentucky, 9th​Maine, 21st​, 23rd​& 35th​Missouri, 47th​New York, 61st​Ohio, 11th​, 30th​, 31st​, 38th​, 79th​, 93rd​& 139th​Pennsylvania and the 1st​, 4th​, 10th​, 11th​, 19th​& 20th​Wisconsin. The ever-frugal US government kept thousands of US M1842 muskets in government stores until 1870, when they began to sell of the arms via auction.​
Very informative, thanks for posting that.
 
While on the subject of '42s, not all rifled muskets had rear sights added. Some were just rifled, by both the government and contractors - Miles Greenwood, for example. The idea was that the flank companies needed rifling for range and rear sights for accuracy; the line companies only needed range.
Very interesting, thank you.
 
Thank you all for your advice and help.

Now comes the hard part. I told the lady I would probably end up owing her some money as to the amount of work I did for her was only $1,200. I had a feeling that the Springfield 1842 was worth more then that.

I informed of her of this, and asked if I could take a week or two and ask around for the value, and get back to her with the difference. She agreed, and said no rush (we live in a extremely rural area, where everyone knows everyone’s private business as well as reputation).

So what do you all think, what is it worth. If you would fee more comfortable doing it through a PM, that is fine. I would just like honesty, so I can sleep at night, not worrying that I took advantage of someone.

Thank you in advance and appreciate your help.

Reapectfully,
Kyle Kalasnik
 
Thank you all for your advice and help.

Now comes the hard part. I told the lady I would probably end up owing her some money as to the amount of work I did for her was only $1,200. I had a feeling that the Springfield 1842 was worth more then that.

I informed of her of this, and asked if I could take a week or two and ask around for the value, and get back to her with the difference. She agreed, and said no rush (we live in a extremely rural area, where everyone knows everyone’s private business as well as reputation).

So what do you all think, what is it worth. If you would fee more comfortable doing it through a PM, that is fine. I would just like honesty, so I can sleep at night, not worrying that I took advantage of someone.

Thank you in advance and appreciate your help.

Reapectfully,
Kyle Kalasnik
Actually $1200 isn’t out of line for such. Especially if fully functional with a decent bore.
 
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