Original M1816 A. Waters Musket

Well, I broke down and bought an original Model 1816 Asa Waters Contract Musket on[url] Gunbroker.com[/url]. Can't wait to get it!

The guy I talked to said he thinks it is probably a reconversion to flintlock, but wasn't for sure. He said he couldn't find any evidence of it having ever been converted to percussion, but that the bore had been rifled. Whoever reconverted it to flint had done an excellent job. It really doesn't matter to me if it is a reconversion.

Apparently some flintlock smoothbore muskets were rifled during the Civil War and this is one of them. I knew that some Model 1842 muskets were rifled, but didn't know that some flintlocks were also rifled during the war.

This one is dated 1833 and is in very good restored condition. I had an 1824 dated Asa Waters, but sold it about 7 or 8 years ago. I have regretted selling it ever since.

I think I saw that musket on GB. The one I saw was rifled but it didn't have a rear sight. I think yours was probably reconverted. Flayderman
doesn't mention anything about rifled flint 1816s, only coverted percussions that had a bolster type breech. In some cases the bolster was brazed on over the flash hole, which would be a good candidate for reconversion to flint.

I have a flint 1816 that was reconverted. I love
it. Not the best example but fun to hunt with. I had the barrel relined by Bob Hoyt. Are you going to shoot yours? I'd be interested in hearing how well it shoots. I have an original rifled '42 that shoots the Rapine wadcutter minie very well. I don't think I'd want to shoot the original style minie out of it. 730 grains!!! OUCH!!.

I have a model 1816 Springfield musket converted to a rifle during the Civil War. The lock plate is dated 1827. It has a bolster alternation, a rifle rear sight, and very shallow rifling grooves. The barrel is real thin and I heared that it was not uncommon that the barrel would split. My rifle-musket might have been done by a contractor rather than Remington of Springfield Arsenal as it has what appears to be an 1836 or 1842 nose cap on the end of the stock. Possibly the front sight blade might have worked better with the rifle rear sight. It was loaded when I got it with homemade buck shot and patent medicene bottle labels for wadding. Someone was using it as a shotgun. It is arsenal white in finish. It shot it a few times 5o yeares ago, but now it resides on the wall above my desk. :thumbsup:

Duane, the one you saw is probably it. It doesn't have a rear sight. I talked to the guy on the phone and he said it is probably a re-conversion, but he could find no evidence of its being reconverted. Somebody had done a real good job of converting it back to flint. He said it has real shallow rifling. I will probably shoot it. I won't know for sure until it gets here and I can inspect it and see if it is safe to shoot. I used to shoot my other Asa Waters musket, before I sold it and it was a re-conversion. It was still smooth bore. I'm not real sure what kind of ball to use in a .69 cal. rifle. Can you still use patched round balls?

Bill S. said:

Duane, the one you saw is probably it. It doesn't have a rear sight. I talked to the guy on the phone and he said it is probably a re-conversion, but he could find no evidence of its being reconverted. Somebody had done a real good job of converting it back to flint. He said it has real shallow rifling. I will probably shoot it. I won't know for sure until it gets here and I can inspect it and see if it is safe to shoot. I used to shoot my other Asa Waters musket, before I sold it and it was a re-conversion. It was still smooth bore. I'm not real sure what kind of ball to use in a .69 cal. rifle. Can you still use patched round balls?

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Bill: I've shot patched balls out of my rifled '42
but after listening to advice from some N-SSA shooters, I stay with the Rapine wadcutter minie over 60 -70 grains of 2F. It weighs about 500 gr. as opposed to the original style at 730 gr. I don't think I'd go beyond that in your '16 considering that barrel has thinner barrel walls than a '42. Both my smoothbore '16 and the rifled '42 were relined by Bob Hoyt. If you have any doubt about your barrel send it to him. He may suggest relining it smoothbore.

Bob Hoyt
The Freishutz Shop
717 642 6696

Oh yeah, he does have a long lead time, but he's the best.


Regards,

Duane

Thanks Duane for the good advice. I'll have to wait until it gets here and find out what kind of condition the barrel is in.