MACON ALTERATION - REMINGTON ALTERED 1816

Macon Alteration of an Remington altered 1816.SOLD

This musket started off as a flintlock smoothbore model 1816 musket.  In the late 1850 it was converted to Percussion, rifled and had a new lock installed.   There is no rear sight and the barrel does not show a dovetail for one.  A number of the Remington alterations were made for the state of New Jersey, however this example has no NJ marks evident.  There is strong rifling in this example.  The lock has the Remington Ilion marks but the date is a little difficult to read.  The metal of the lock has general scattered pitting and the primer mechanism is missing the prawl that advances the tape.  One of the two springs remains.  The barrel breech has scattered pitting but the tang has a visible date as well as the letter number combination stamped behind the date.  The wood is solid and has strong corners, as well as clear inspectors marks.  

With the active campaigns in Virginia early in the war thousands of muskets were gathered from battlefield into confederate hands.  The Richmond armory distributed several thousand of the damaged muskets to Macon Arsenal to be repaired and refurbished.  Typically the weapons were repaired to working order and many were shortened such as this one.  The bands were respaced - this example had both the middle and upper bands relocated and the barrel shortened.  Additionally the bayonet lug was moved as well and the barrel turned to accept the bayonet.  This is one of the major points in distinguishing this as an arsenal conversion.  Many of these repaired muskets were intended to be shipped to the Trans Mississippi department. SOLD