Rifleman Q&A: Sporterized Springfield Musket?

by
posted on October 31, 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. **
Sporterized Springfield Musket

Q: This firearm came from a vendor that said it was picked up off of a battlefield in North Carolina. The wooden stock and the metal look very old. A small “US” is stamped on top of the buttplate.“Springfield 1850” is stamped on the hammer side of the lock. There is a sling swivel attached to the front of the trigger guard. The name “S.H. Lee” is engraved on one side of the stock and below that are the words “Newbern N.C.” I could not find a serial number anywhere on the gun. Could “S.H. Lee” be the soldier who used it?

A: Your gun is a U.S. Model 1842 musket that has been “sporterized” at some time in its history. The Model 1842 was manufactured at the Springfield and Harpers Ferry armories from 1844 to 1855. Some 447,000 were eventually made. It was the country’s first general-issue percussion musket.

The Model 1842 musket was widely used during the Civil War in its original .69-cal. smoothbore form, as well as in a rifled configuration. Both sides of the conflict employed them. The markings on the buttstock of the gun in question could have been put there during the Civil War or afterwards by the person who modified the piece. These arms were not serialized.

—Garry James, Contributing Editor

Latest

FN “Moroccan” Mauser, semi-automatic LRB M14SA
FN “Moroccan” Mauser, semi-automatic LRB M14SA

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.

Trijicon Releases Green-Dot RMR

For the first time, the Trijicon RMR will now be available with a green aiming dot, providing some benefits to shooters with astigmatism and red-green color blindness.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 15, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Firearm Industry Companies Consolidate, Others Close Doors In 2025

This year has already seen some big changes in the firearm industry. They don’t quite reach the tectonic shift in 2020, when legendary firms owned by Remington Outdoor were auctioned off, but there have still been some notable shifts within the industry in 2025.

Preview: Uni-Loader

The easy-to-use Uni-Loader can save high-volume shooters a lot of time and finger pain.

CZ 600+ Introduces Switch-Barrel Capability

In 2025, CZ USA expanded its 600 series rifle lineup with the CZ 600+, a design that delivers on the company's promise of a switch-barrel platform.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.