Springfield Model 1840 flintlock musket
The Springfield Model 1840 flintlock musket was manufactured in Springfield. The.69 caliber musket had a 42-inch barrel, an overall length of 58 inches, and a weight of 9.8 pounds. 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 smoothbore musket, most of the Model 1840s had their barrels rifled later, as the designers had anticipated.
