1842 repro Springfield musket

[krolick]

We had a warmer day today so I took my new 42 repro percussion Springfield musket out to do a shake down on it. I used the exact load as I used in my Virginia smooth bore musket which is a flintlock. I shoot both of these under NSSA rules -that means all munitions must be in cartridge form and no patches. I am using soft plastic loading tubes from Lodgewood - 60 grains of 2f and .640 rb wrapped in a foil case with a dab of Crisco placed inside before folding and twisting it to close. I fired 20 rounds standing, off hand. I was quite surprised how well the 42 worked. 2 shots went off the target plate, and this was at only 25 yards. Next time I'll try 50 yards. The 1842 was the last smooth bore musket made by the US(1844-1855). They saw some use in the war with Mexico but saw the most use during the Civil War. What is interesting is thousands of surplus 42's were sold thru hardware stores and gun shops in the west from late 1860's thru the 1890's. They saw a lot of use in the late west. I've posted some pics of the 42 and the cartridges. These work really good and they're easy to make. G.S.

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[satwel]

Handsome musket and nice shooting. The model 42 is on my wish list. What make is it?
Now tell us about the Hall Rifle in the background. Is that the kit from the Rifle Shoppe? If it is, how long a of a wait was there?

Thanks

 

[BillinOregon]

Gulielmus, thanks for posting your results with the 42. Craig Barry and other Civil War firearms experts say the ArmiSport 42 is the most authentic out-of-the-box reproduction out there, but your stock wood looks too dark (more like the real thing) to be an Italian gun. Am I wrong?
Attempting to coax the maximum accuracy out of a smoothbore musket sounds like a most pleasant challenge.

 

[Alden]

Are you dropping the foil-wrapped ball down the muzzle?

 

[krolick]

Yes, the entire tinfoil wrapped ball goes in. I put the twisted tail end in first so its rammed down against the powder. Now the foil acts as a patch holding the ball tightly and safely in place. When fired, the foil ruptures exposing the cisco to the bore as it travels down the bore with the ball. It seems once the foil leaves the muzzle it atomizes. I've never found any pieces of foil bigger then a pinhead. I've got several other smooth bores including a 16th century matchlock I'm working on now. I'm going to try this method on all my smoothbores and find out how well that works. G.S.

 

[krolick]

Its a ARMISPORT from Dixe.The Hall I will post on the build site later today to explain it.G.S.

 

[krolick]

Bill, you're quite right, it's an ARMISPORT. I got it new from Dixie this Nov. Original 42's are quite thin and slender and the alignment of all the parts are still good even after a century and a half plus. Not so much on the repros. Like many before, this one underwent considerable upgrading. Hopefully saying this won't get this post put on the builder page; but, I brought it to the contours of an original 42. The barrel fit so poorly I glass bedded it. I also put in an original 42 main spring. They're much lighter and don't slam down so hard as to throw the gun off target and the lighter main spring is not going to damage the internal parts by violently slamming them together. My goal on this musket is to have a competitive shooter but keep the look and feel of the originals. I still have to get over to Lodgewood to get the cartouche stamped on it and I'm going to put some rack numbers on it. Those I will do here. G.S.

 

[BillinOregon]

Gulielmus, thanks for 'splaining your modifications. I am sorely tempted by the 1842 as well, so it is good to know what may be required. May I ask if you you stripped, stained and refinished the wood? It looks like American black walnut, not that European stuff.

 

[krolick]

Well Bill, at the risk of angering the web site gods and be cast into some lost post purgatory, I treated the 42 musket as a blank slab of wood. I used planers and rasps, chisels and sanding blocks to reshape. So much wood was removed that stripping the finish was unnecessary. Keep in mind not only did I thin it out, I straightened it, too - like doing body work on a car. The finish you see on it now is 2 colors of stain, one as a base, the other to highlight; and, then 2 coats of true oil and then several coats of mineral sprits cut with true oil and linseed oil. Having said this, hope this post is still here tomorrow. Glad to answer any questions. G.S.

 

[krolick]

Well Bill, at the risk of angering the web site gods and be cast into some lost post purgatory, I treated the 42 musket as a blank slab of wood. I used planers and rasps, chisels and sanding blocks to reshape. So much wood was removed that stripping the finish was unnecessary. Keep in mind not only did I thin it out, I straightened it, too - like doing body work on a car. The finish you see on it now is 2 colors of stain, one as a base, the other to highlight; and, then 2 coats of true oil and then several coats of mineral sprits cut with true oil and linseed oil. Having said this, hope this post is still here tomorrow. Glad to answer any questions. G.S.

 

[Alden]

These ArmiSport guns have gotten quite expensive but I bought a rifled '42 from John Zimmerman out of Harpers Ferry, defarbed and tuned with the sweet long range FRONT sight quite a few years ago. The trigger pull is heavier than I liked but is what it is. Might want to look into such for something a little different...

 

[BillinOregon]

Alden, I have heard that recoil with the rifled 42 and the big Lyman .69 minie is "robust." Concur?

G.S.: You did an inspiring job on that stock. The rifle looks like it recently emerged from a federal armory.

 

[nkbj]

Yep, your ro might bust. :haha:
By the way, be aware that the Armisport may have a bore diameter too big for the Lyman minie. Mine is one of the Armisport Freemonts (1842 two bands) and it is .696" bore.

 

[Alden]

With 70 - 75 grains I don't mind it at all but then again it doesn't get much use in "the rotation."