Pat1842 Smoothbore Musket

[Heelerau]

Gents,
as a child of 11 I was given the above which had been in a station storeroom and was missing part of the fore end.
I got it, cleaned it up and pulled a charge of shot out of it !!
The long and the short, after making another for end and steel ramrod, I was given a bag mould of about the right .72 cal, I found a charge of 2 1/2 drams of FFg and a cloth patch, I could nail rabbits regularly out to 50yds. after being brought up to believe all smooth bores were inaccurate, so was ver surprised. I could even keep 59% in the black at 50ys on a 25yd pistol target.
I no longer have this gun, long sad story, late young brother put a charge of Nobels no 69 in and burst it remotely with a length of string from the out door privy. Boo Hoo.
I have never heard of smooth rifles before, what a great versitile idea !!


Cheers from down under

heelerau

 

[Alexei]

I have the American version on the way to me as I write this. Used a similar Armi-Sport repro .69 Model 1842 Musket when I re-enacted years ago. When I start firing her up (with "live" rounds this time), I'll be glad to post my results. All the suggestions have been helpful in planning.

 

[Alden]

That was some pattern your '42 musket kept down under!

The Springfield '42 caplock is a classic. I have a customized 1842 RIFLED musket. Shooting a .69 Minie Ball -- I'm not sure I ever hit anything but THAT's some fun right there.

 

[Heelerau]

Mine was a british Pat 42, had the Pat 1853 type of lock Enfield lock to look at.. I think a lot of these muskets were on issue to native troops. This one was an unmarked gun, probably just sold to the civilian trade. I did not realise you blokes had a Springfield Pat 42 musket as well.

Cheers
Heelerau

 

[Alden]

Sure -- it was our first standard issue main battle percussion musket. Was not loved by the flintlock-accustomed troops but they had to go fight superior numbers on their home-turf in Mexico with them, so...

They were still largely in service up to and a few right through the US Civil War. Don't quote me but I seem to recall about 14,000 were retroactively rifled for the conflict. It really was the end of the smoothbore.

 

[Heelerau]

I am after all these years gathering up the bits of this musket and hoping to get a replacement barrel from IMA and have a chap back in South Aus who can make a stock for it. the barrel looks like someone just pulled it apart at the breach face right through the nipple bolster. I could in fact repair it visually and would look intact, I will not of course do that as it would not be ever safe again. I was interested to hear they refilled a lot of your pat 42s, I wonder how well they shot?

Cheers

Heelerau

 

[Alden]

Someone here'll scrounge up a War Dept./Ordnance Dept. study on the accuracy of assorted rifles including these any minute I'm sure.

Most did not get long range rear sights added. My defarbed repro has them as well as a blade front sight which I understand was even rarer but that's what sold me on this gun -- it was gorgeous with what looks like a Krag-Jorgensen front sight. it's on the barrel band vs. the barrel, but, that the way it was. Silly place for a rifle front sight...

I digress but it took me a year to decide and get the darn thing. I truly am not sure I was ever on paper at a reasonable distance. A buddy asked me why I didn't pick one up for him! Took it to the range only once with another friend, used 75 grains of 2f, fired it a dozen times, and that's it.

Hope you can find all the parts you need. A wall hanger with a warning etched into the barrel isn't the worst you could do either ya know...

 

[Heelerau]

Mate,
I guess at the ranges these conversions were going to shoot a front sight on the barrel band would have been good enough. My guess is these arms would have not been regarded for front line service, maybe for pow guards and behind the lines type security work. You are right, perhaps I could make a wall hanger from it.

Cheers

Heelerau

 

[TS12]

When one of my GGG Grandfathers left the UK for Australia, in escort of prisoners, his regiment was equipped with the Pattern 1839 - of which relatively few were in service by the time many were destroyed by a fire at the Tower. The regiment than took the Pattern 1839 to New Zealand with them in 1846 when ordered to Wellington in response to unrest there.

The 1842 was the replacement for the 1839, the former being largely converted to percussion from flintlock Brown Bess muskets whilst the later were built as percussion lock arms. In other respects they were very similar.

My wish list includes either a P1839 or 1842 reproduction, but I have a couple of others listed above it at present. My dream list (more unattainable than the wish list) includes an original).

Closely related to the P1842 was the P1841 Sappers and Miners Carbine. Down another family branch, a GG Grandfather of mine (Sappers & Miners and later, the Royal Engineers) carried one of these. The furniture was in common with the 1842 but accommodated the shorter barrel with a slightly smaller bore. I have a working reproduction of this carbine though it needs more work - the current furniture is "borrowed" from a post-1851 design and the bayonet catch is not correct. Nonetheless it provides an authentic experience when fired.

Thanks for sharing the story of your P1842.