Unmarked US 1798 Contract Flintlock Musket

War of 1812

.70 caliber. 44" barrel. NSN. Bright finish, iron furniture, full-length walnut musket stock with three flat, spring retained barrel bands. Single shot smoothbore muzzleloading flintlock musket with no rear sight, brass blade front sight on the rear strap of the upper barrel band, a socket bayonet lug on top of the barrel, 1" from the muzzle and a pair of bell shaped sling swivels. The 6.25" flat beveled lock has a pronounced teat at the rear and is unmarked. It has a removable faceted, fenced and bridled iron pan. The frizzen toe is curled and the frizzen spring terminates in a rudimentary fleur-de-lis. The flat beveled cock is reinforced and has a heart shaped cut out with a curl at the top of the cock's comb, a feature eliminated at Springfield circa 1804. The lock appears to be in its original flint configuration. The touchhole is well placed in the pan, shows some erosion and retains some angle and taper. The bore is obstructed by steel wool and a broken jag about 4" from the breech, so the breech could not be inspected from the inside. The breech is stamped with an early, post-1797 proof marks of a raised {Eagle Head} over P within a depressed oval with a scalloped border. No other markings are noted. The barrel band spacing is 10.5" from the rear of the breech to the rear of the lower band, 14.625" from the rear edge of the lower band to the rear of the middle band, and 13" from the rear edge of the middle band to the rear of the upper band. The triggerguard plate is 12.75" in length and is of the French pattern. The trigger is of the earliest style and has essentially no reinforcement web, typical of very early US muskets, again a feature that changes substantially starting in about 1801-1802 with the web becoming prominent by about 1803. Early production style short stock with a nominally 12.75" length of pull, 4.25" narrow wrist and a deeply fluted butt. Includes a button head ramrod of the period that is well worn and short of full length. A very solid example of an early American contract musket that remains in relatively complete and original condition. {ANTIQUE}

This lot is located in Cincinnati.