US Army Model 1840 .69” Calibre Flintlock Muzzle Loading Service Musket Nippes Mill Creek PA (Philadelphia) USA Converted To Percussion In 1845. Single Shot .69 Rifles

US Army Model 1840 .69” Calibre Flintlock Muzzle Loading Service Musket Nippes Mill Creek PA (Philadelphia) USA Converted To Percussion In 1845. Sn 19818 - 19818

In 1842, a group of the US Ordnance Department inspectors began the laborious task of inspecting and classifying the nearly one million flintlock rifles and muskets in storage around the country for the purposes of determining which were suitable for alteration to percussion and in what order the alterations should be accomplished. In 1844, an Ordnance Department board of officers was convened to consider the best method by which the percussion alterations should be performed. In March of 1845 Daniel Nippes of Mill Creek, PA was commissioned to perform conversion of Pattern 1840 muskets and other flintlock arms to percussion. Nippes was a long-time US Ordnance Department contractor, having been involved in the production of arms on contract for the previous decade and having previously been employed by ordnance contractor Marine T. Wickham, who was himself was a former Ordnance Department small arms inspector. Nippes’ father had also been an Ordnance Department contractor back to the US M1808 musket contracts, so he was a second-generation arms maker, involved in the family business. This is a scarce US Model 1840 Nippes converted Musket. The lock retains its original markings to the rear of the hammer, which reads MILL CREEK PA 1845 and forward of the hammer ‘D.NIPPES US’. The all original wood stock has just knocks bumps and bruises to be expected with age and service use. The wood ins impressed with factory inspector’s cartouche and initials ‘JTS’. The gun’s steel butt plate is stamped ‘US’ (army). Its 30” sighted barrel’s smoothbore has staining and residue consistent with age and service use. The weapon has its original steel ram rod and is fitted with single sling swivel. . The musket measures 46 ½” overall. Sn 19818

£795.00