.57 caliber. 40" barrel secured by three flat, spring-retained barrel bands. SN: 186. Bright finish, iron furniture, walnut stock. Single shot percussion muzzleloading cadet musket upgraded by rifling the bore and adding an M1855 long range rear sight for use by cadets at West Point. Retains sling swivels and the correct pattern dished face trumpet head ramrod modified for use with elongated ball ammunition. No iron blade front sight as was installed during the upgrade to rifled and sighted is present, although the barrel is correctly grooved for the modified upper band that would have that sight. Lock with standard Springfield {Spread-Winged Eagle}/US forward of hammer and marked in three vertical lines at the tail SPRING/FIELD/1853. No visible date on the breech plug tang. Standard V/P/{Eagle Head} proofs at breech. No visible cartouche. Rear barrel band numbered 186, typical of cadet use at West Point. Buttplate additionally rack numbered C/37. A scarce gun in its own right, only 4,000 Model 1851 cadet muskets were produced at Springfield circa 1851-1853. Of these, slightly more than 300 were rifled and sighted with 300 subsequently issued to the West Point corps of cadets in 1857. A must-have item for any collection of US military cadet rifles. {ANTIQUE}