1816 REMINGTON ALTERATION -Dated 1856

1816 Musket - Remington Alteration  SOLD

After the successful test of the Nippe's Altered flintlock muskets in Texas and New Mexico the US military decided to alter another 20,000 flintlock muskets to percussion using a Maynard Tape primer lock.  The alteration consisted of a entirely new lock and a chambered breech piece with a bolster and cone.  Remington contracted to supply 20,000 locks and breech pieces for the effort.  Deliveries began in the spring of 1856 and continued though the spring of 1858.  The alteration itself was performed at Frankford Arsenal with 1800 completed in fiscal year 1856 and 8,137 completed in Fiscal 1857.  The alteration included removing the rear of the barrel and breechplug and threading the barrel for the new breech piece.  The barrel was rifled and new sights were added.  The flintlock was removed and the stock was modified to accept the new lock with the Maynard tape primer.  Also the ramrod was cupped at the end for the new ammunition.  This updating of the old smooth bore flintlock muskets brought them up to current technology.  A little over 20000 were completed and many of the later conversions did not have the rear sights added.

This example is on a Harpers Ferry musket and has all of the components of the alteration.  It is dated 1856 on the lock and the barrel.  The breech of the barrel in addition to the date, has a small number 85 stamped on the tang below the date and a larger 18 stamped on the breech above the date.  There is a JT stamped in the left portion of the breech.  That JT is also stamped on the top of the primer door.  The primer mechanism is complete and functional.  There is a 18 stamped in the wood behind the barrel tang and in the wood in front of the buttplate.  The metal buttplate tang has the US and a 18 stamped in the metal.  An 18 is also stamped in the metal sideplate.  

The metal is a grey color with scattered areas of light pitting.  There is a little more salt and pepper at the barrel breech.  The lock markings are sharp and readable.  The action is strong and solid.  The wood has sharp readable inspectors marks AM over a V on the side and a V over three initials in the tail of the flat.  This is how Harper's Ferry 1816s were marked in the wood.  All of the parts are present and original.  

SOLD