Type musket In service 1840-1865 Designed 1840 | Place of origin United States Used by United States | |
Wars Mexican-American War, American Civil War | ||
The Model 1840 flintlock musket was produced at Springfield Armory. The .69 caliber musket had a 42" barrel, an overall length of 58", and a weight of 9.8 lbs. More than 30,000 were produced by the Springfield Armory and two independent contractors between 1840 and 1846.
The Model 1840 was a minor improvement over the Springfield Model 1835 musket, and therefore was not dramatically different from the older Model 1835. The Model 1840 featured a longer bayonet with a clasp and a stock with a comb. The designers of the Model 1840 anticipated that the musket would eventually be rifled, and made the barrel heavier than the earlier Model 1835 accordingly. The various modifications to the Model 1840 made it slightly heavier than the Model 1835.
The Model 1840 was the last flintlock musket produced at Springfield Armory. Many were converted to percussion lock before they made it to the field. Although produced as a smooth bore musket, most of the Model 1840s had their barrels rifled later, as the designers had anticipated.