What do I have here?

[scooter748driver]

A quick pop in & out of my favorite little gun store today with only enough time to do a quick walk-through (had to get to a meeting). I ran across this old musket way in the back. It's got some unusual stamps on it which leads me ask the title question.

The lock plate is marked Springfield 1838 and a very faint US can be seen forward of the hammer on the lock plate. It looks to be converted from flintlock to percussion but I've not seen a cutout like the one for the conversion before (however I'm still a novice so it might be very common).

I can't make out the inspectors cartouche in the left side of the stock (SW? JW?) but in several places on the stock and on the side of the barrel there is stamped C.B. CUNDELL. On the barrel, after this stamping, are 3 letters which may be AOT or AOV (they look to be overstamped so I can't make it out exactly).

The gun is in very rough condition with a lot of surface rust. I could not make out any proof or inspection/acceptance marking on the barrel nor anything on the tang.

My question are:

• What is it? A Springfield 1838?
• Is this a common musket?
• Comments on the conversion are appreciated
• And the big one - who is/was C.B. CUNDELL?

Pictures shown below. As always, thank you for any insight and assistance!

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

I believe you have a Springfield Model 1816, manufactured in 1838, that was later converted to percussion.

 

[RedRover]

By 1838 the model was referred to generally as that of 1822, though modern collectors often call them the Model of 1816, etc.

An 1835 model flintlock Springfield musket was developed, but as I understand, it was only manufactured briefly ca. 1840 before the Model 1842 percussion musket was adopted.

These old Springfield muskets were converted to percussion in the 1850s and 60s.

The name stamps is likely the previous owner or dealer, Mr. G.B. Cundell. Here's a link to another flintlock conversion musket with Mr. Cundell's name marked on it.

M1816 Remington Maynard Conversion - questions

I purchased the subject musket from a friend. It's literally an attic find, having been dug out of the rafters of his great aunt's estate. Probably hadn't seen the light of day in years. I've identified it as an M1816 flintlock musket that was converted by Remington in 1856 to the Maynard...

www.muzzleloadingforum.com

So here's a Mr. George B. Cundell, a Patterson, New Jersey businessman, who by 1869 was selling sporting goods and guns among other things...

Patterson Daily Press, 11-6-1868.

Patterson Daily Press, Patterson, NJ, 1-5-1869.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

You found him!

 

[scooter748driver]

Apparently he sold a little bit of everything according to his advertising posted above. What a pity he was so prolific with marking this gun.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

Notice he was offering "GUNS AT COST" which makes you wonder how he earned a living. Perhaps he made it up in volume, as the saying goes

 

[RedRover]

Notice he was offering "GUNS AT COST" which makes you wonder how he earned a living. Perhaps he made it up in volume, as the saying goes

Looking at the guns marked with his name, viz. old big bore muzzle loading muskets converted to percussion, which were rather obsolete by the late 1860s, I would presume he bought them cheap and sold them cheap.

From 1869, notice that the US Arsenal on Governor's Island was loaded with obsolete guns, including old muskets, which were going to be sold cheap...

Evening Post, New York, 7-8-1869.


By 1902 Francis Bannerman's company was noting that while they were in some demand for duck guns, there weren't many of the old smooth bore muskets coming out of the government sales (having already been unloaded some decades before)...

 

[Story]

It looks to be converted from flintlock to percussion but I've not seen a cutout like the one for the conversion before (however I'm still a novice so it might be very common).

• Comments on the conversion are appreciated

View attachment 540324

Looks like a Leman (?) conversion barrel dropped into the action incongruously (so possibly a parts gun).

 

[RSMorris]

Apparently he sold a little bit of everything according to his advertising posted above. What a pity he was so prolific with marking this gun.

I think the engraving is cool, adds to the history of it.....

 

[BBurkett]

That's not a Leman barrel. It's a Remington patent breech. Rather poor install as with all the gaps in the area surrounding the lock suggests post war assembly. It's too crude to be anything else.