Rare 1842 Springfield Morse Breechloader

Updated September 18, 2026

Extremely scarce antique U.S. Springfield Armory musket appearing to be a Morse-Munck centerfire breechloading alteration. The lockplate is marked "SPRING / FIELD / 1842." The 1842 marking is the original manufacture date, not the model designation. The musket appears to have originated as a late U.S. Model 1816-pattern flintlock musket, commonly classified as a Model 1816 Type III or Model 1828 variation. Around 1858-1859, Springfield Armory altered a very limited number of older muskets to George Woodward Morse's experimental centerfire metallic-cartridge breechloading system. Historical research indicates that only 54 standard-production Morse-Munck altered muskets were completed, in addition to a small number of experimental examples. If this example is confirmed as an authentic Morse-Munck alteration, it may be a particularly rare and valuable Civil War-era firearm. Prospective bidders are encouraged to conduct their own research and inspection. The distinctive alteration includes the original hammer with its striking nose removed and repurposed as a cocking lever, a hinged breech cover, sliding breechpiece, internal firing mechanism, brass components and long-range rear sight. Period references generally describe these altered muskets as .69 caliber with rifled barrels; however, the bore and caliber of this example have not been independently measured. No serial number is visible. Antique condition with dark age-related patina, finish loss, scattered oxidation and pitting. The full-length wood stock shows scratches, dents, finish wear, cracks, chipping and wood loss around the altered breech area. The ramrod does not appear to be present. The breech mechanism opens as photographed, but the firearm has not been test-fired or evaluated for safe operation. This is a historic collector firearm and should not be fired without a complete inspection by a qualified antique-firearms gunsmith. No firearm sales to anyone under 21 years of age. All shipped firearms must be sent to a licensed FFL dealer. A $10 background-check charge applies to all firearms picked up locally. If you have any doubt, please attend the preview and examine all photographs closely before bidding. Estimated Auction Value: Not provided; no sufficiently comparable verified sales were found within the past 12 months which shows how rare this gun is!

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