Harper Ferry 1854??
- Thread starter msta999
- Start date
Uncle Buck
New member
When you say 'cleaning up' this gun, do mean trying to get it to work? Restore it so it looks nice?
Please be very very careful, so many guns have been ruined because they were cleaned up. Unless you are a proffessional restorer, you more than likely will ruin any value this gun has by simply removing some rust.
Please, find out what it is worth before you do anything further to the gun. I would hate to see, and I bet you would feel bad, if you accidentally ruin a piece of American history.
Please be very very careful, so many guns have been ruined because they were cleaned up. Unless you are a proffessional restorer, you more than likely will ruin any value this gun has by simply removing some rust.
Please, find out what it is worth before you do anything further to the gun. I would hate to see, and I bet you would feel bad, if you accidentally ruin a piece of American history.
yes it was a CW gun. 69 cal smooth bore a popular load for 69s was buck and ball three buck shot behind a ball so yes it was a shotgun. That is a valuable gun if you want to clean it up find a reputable restorer that's been in the business a while. Or the cheaper way would be to buy a reproduction .69 cal smooth bore Harper's ferry musket they do sell them.
The gun is a Model 1842, the first U.S. percussion musket. It is .69, and was made as a smoothbore, but many were rifled in the Civil War era. They were not considered first line weapons, but were often used in combat nevertheless.
I don't think you will find a restorer who will consider working on that gun, it is just too far gone, and a true restoration would cost more than the gun would be worth. I would clean it of active rust, dirt and dust, and hang it on the wall.
You might replace the foreend tip if you can find one at a reasonable price (try www.ssfirearms.com) and put in a repro cleaning rod (same place).
The Model 1842 is a fairly common gun. Harpers Ferry made about 100,000 of them and Springfield another 170,000. Decent ones are going for around $1600. Relics like yours bring a couple of hundred.
Jim
I don't think you will find a restorer who will consider working on that gun, it is just too far gone, and a true restoration would cost more than the gun would be worth. I would clean it of active rust, dirt and dust, and hang it on the wall.
You might replace the foreend tip if you can find one at a reasonable price (try www.ssfirearms.com) and put in a repro cleaning rod (same place).
The Model 1842 is a fairly common gun. Harpers Ferry made about 100,000 of them and Springfield another 170,000. Decent ones are going for around $1600. Relics like yours bring a couple of hundred.
Jim
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