Harpers Ferry Model 1816 Musket
Harpers Ferry Armory (US Government) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1816
Also known as: Model 1816, U.S. Model 1816 Musket, Harpers Ferry Model 1816 Flintlock Musket
Overview
The Harpers Ferry Model 1816 was a .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock musket produced at the U.S. Harpers Ferry Armory as one of the two national-armory sources of the Model 1816 pattern, the standard American shoulder arm of the early-to-mid 19th century. Muzzle-loaded and single-shot, it fired a round lead ball or a buck-and-ball load from a 42-inch smoothbore barrel and was heavily influenced by the French Charleville Model 1777. It featured a longer lockplate and lengthened bayonet compared to the earlier Model 1812. Along with output from Springfield Armory and private contractors, the Model 1816 became the most-produced flintlock in American history, and huge numbers were later converted from flintlock to percussion ignition and pressed back into service through the American Civil War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4530 g (159.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1473 mm (57.99") |
| Barrel Length | 1066 mm (41.97") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Muzzle Velocity | 305 m/s (1001 fps) |
| Effective Range | 91 m (100 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 183 m (200 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 2 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | White Metal |
Calibers
- .69 Caliber Musket Ball · primary — also known as 0.69 in, 17.5 mm ball, buck and ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Smoothbore Barrel, Muzzle Loaded, Flintlock, Three Barrel Bands, Socket Bayonet Lug, Ramrod, Percussion Conversion
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1816 · as Model 1816
Conflicts
- Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 675,000 · Production years: 1816-1844
Combined total for the Model 1816 pattern made at Harpers Ferry, Springfield Armory, and private contractors; the most-produced U.S. flintlock musket
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1844
Notes
Total Model 1816 production across Harpers Ferry, Springfield, and private contractors is estimated at roughly 675,000 units. Many Harpers Ferry examples were altered to percussion lock in the 1840s-1850s, and some were rifled and re-sighted.
Background
Harpers Ferry Model 1816 muskets soldiered on for half a century: many were pulled from arsenals decades after manufacture, converted from flint to percussion, and issued again to both Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War.