1862 Springfield Musket

[Buckhead]

Okay here is the thing. My sister in law Gave me a Springfield 1862 Musket that belonged to my Brother in law before he passed away a few years ago.
The thing is is that it has a short forearm and no rear sights and a shotgun type front bead sight I can't tell if it has a a rifled barrel or not'
I can't see anywhere where it looks like a back sight could have ever been mounted. It looks to be .58 cal. I have a full 1863 Springfield musket and other then the thing being shorter and the stock being shortened and the sights not being the same, they look like they could have at one time been the same type of rifle.
I will post some pictures when I get home. But fore now what do you think it is? Did they convert some of these old muskets to shotguns after the war?
Because without a rear sight and a bead front sight I can't imagine it being very accurate. Help"

[Junk Yard Dog]

Yes, these muskets were very cheap, and plentiful after the war, individuals sporterized them and did outfits like Bannermans. Shotguns were of more use to a settler headed west that a rifle musket. Bannermans had a great pile of these that they sold to the French during the Franco Prussian war in 1870, they later bought them back from the Germans who had taken them from the French as war booty after they won that war. Bannerman brought them back to the states and then had to find ways to unload them on a public that wanted cartridge arms. Mostly they just converted them into cheap single shot shotguns.

[Buckhead]

Thanks Jim
I kind of thought it may have been converted to a shot gun. How would you load it tho. I will take it home and go over it real good and make sure it is safe to shoot before I do any thing. You have a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year/

[Junk Yard Dog]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours

[bunkysdad]

Buckhead do you have any pictures of it? Sounds interesting.

[Darryl]

Thanks Jim
I kind of thought it may have been converted to a shot gun. How would you load it tho.

Like a muzzle loader shotgun. From the muzzle end with "shot" instead of a ball or mini.

I have a 1776 French musket that the same thing was done to it. But only flintlock.

Dolk

[Buckhead]

Buckhead do you have any pictures of it? Sounds interesting.

I will post some pictures after the first of the year.

[Buckhead]

Just a few pictures of the 1862 Springfield shotgun conversion.
[IMG]http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t39 ... f97f74.jpg[/IMG]

[Junk Yard Dog]

looks like they made the ramrod from a trapdoor Springfield cleaning rod,

[entropy]

Thanks Jim
I kind of thought it may have been converted to a shot gun. How would you load it tho. I will take it home and go over it real good and make sure it is safe to shoot before I do any thing. You have a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year/

Don't forget the thick wad uder the shot and a 'card wad' on top.

[walnut red]

I think the hammer is from a M1855 Maynard Tape Prime lock, not a CW era Springfield. While I did so in the past I would not try and shoot that as a shotgun especially as the wrist looks cracked. However I would check to see if it was still loaded.

[entropy]

The hammer is correct for an 1862. If you shoot it, keep the load very light, i.e. , <30 gr FFg or FFFG., and < 3/4 oz. of birdshot.

[jones0430]

To determine if it is a rifle as opposed to a smoothbore. Check the thickness of the barrel at the muzzle. If it is around 1/16 to 1/8th inch thick it is a smooth bore. I have a model 1842 Springfield percussion musket, and there are similarities between yours and mine.