Scarce Model 1842 percussion musket with Lovell clasp.

The first muskets fitted with percussion locks were manufactured for the British Army in 1838. This musket was made up of parts that originally were manufactured for flintlock rifles and were fitted with a hammer and nipple. A fire at the Tower of London destroyed the parts and this stimulated the production of the 1842 pattern using new parts specifically for the production of this musket.
It can be said that the 1842 Musket was the first purpose built rifle produced for the British Army and its inadequacies in respect of accuracy lead to the development of the P1851 and then the iconic P1853 used both in the Crimean War and the US Civil War.
The musket when fitted with a bayonet weighed approximately 11.1/2 pounds, the bore was .753 inch and the barrel 39 inches long which, when fitted with the bayonet increased the overall length to a formidable 6 foot long. The musket is fitted with a block rear sight calibrated for 150 yards but a hit at this distance would have been more luck than judgement.
This musket is a handsome looking example with a lock by the renowned lock maker Joseph Brazier and is complete with its Lovell Bayonet catch.
The lock works fine and there are no cracks in the walnut stock but some shrinkage around the brass butt plate and some erosion around the lock plate as can be seen. The ramrod is also present.
Overall a good representative example of a significant development in British Military Firearms issue.
These are quite difficult rifles to source.

Code: 50455