Rifleman Q&A: 'Potsdam' Muskets

by
posted on September 7, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Potsdam Muskets

Q: My grandfather gave me this gun in 1960. Supposedly, it was used by my great-great-great-grandfather during the American Civil War. I shot it after having a gunsmith inspect it in 1960. The inside of the barrel was fair and said to be shootable. A load of 80 grains of FFg under 1 oz. of shot was said to be a safe load. I shot the gun a number of times that summer and fall and cleaned it the best I could. Now, 60-some years later, I would like to know what this gun really is.


Potsdam MusketsA: Your musket is one of thousands imported by both the North and the South during our Civil War. Yours is from a group generally called “Potsdam” muskets, named after the most common of the makers. Guns in this group were made at Prussian armories in Potsdam, Danzig, Neisse, Suhl and Saarn. Your lockplate shows manufacture in Neisse. The National Armory at Neisse originally made 51,000 arms, but there is no way to know how many of those were exported to the States.

Some references show as many as 160,000 “Potsdams” shipped to the North and 52,000 to the South. Quantities vary, depending upon which reference book is consulted. The Federal Ordnance Dept. considered these to be third-class arms.

Your gun is a .72-cal. smoothbore. These were originally the Model 1809 flintlock converted to percussion, and later, around 1839, made directly in percussion. You might find the date of manufacture on the bottom of the barrel when it is removed from the stock. The crown over “FW” on your gun stands for Friedrich Wilhelm III (1770-1840). The “42” beneath the crown may be the year it was made or converted, 1842.

—Michael Carrick, Contributing Editor

Latest

Making Keltec Pr57 1
Making Keltec Pr57 1

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.