.57 caliber. 40" barrel. NSN. Bright finish, iron furniture, full length walnut musket stock with three flat, spring retained barrel bands. Single shot percussion smoothbore Cadet musket with brass blade front sight, socket bayonet lug under muzzle, sling swivels and trumpet head ramrod. Standard Springfield lock markings, dated 1851 at tail. Barrel with standard proofs, dated 1851 on breech tang. The weak trace of an illegible cartouche is present on counterpane. A total of 4,000 of these scaled down versions of the US Model 1842 style muskets were produced circa 1851-1853 for use by cadets in various military schools around the country, like VMI, but these guns were not intended for use at West Point as they were already using the nearly identical M1841 Cadet Musket. Many of these muskets saw Civil War use as well, particularly in the south. The only M1851 Muskets to see West Point use were some 341 that were upgraded by being rifled and sighted in 1857. {ANTIQUE}