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LOT 1235
Historic Revolutionary War Era Continental Armory Flintlock Musket - NSN,
69 cal., 43 3/8 inch round bbl., bright finish, walnut stock. While the Model 1795 muskets
and Model 1799 North & Cheney pistols are often credited as the first official U.S. martial arms,
they were certainly not the first martial arms manufactured under the auspices of the government
in the United States. The muskets built/assembled during the American Revolution can be claimed
to be the first U.S. martial arms. They were made not under the U.S. government under the
Constitution but under the Continental Congress and local Committees of Safety even prior to the
Articles of Confederation. In “US Government Made Muskets of the Revolution, 1780-1783,” Charles
W. Thayer writes, “there remains a largely unrecognized group of arms that are significant ‘firsts’ for
the new nation. These are the products of manufactories actually operated by the Continental (US)
government, and so, by the conventional definition of collectors, these are the first ‘primary’ martial
arms... The central revolutionary government began producing arms in 1776 at the Continental
Gun Factory, in Lancaster, PA.” After the British abandoned Philadelphia with the entry of the
French into the war, “the Continental Gun Factory, now renamed the Continental Armory, moved to
Philadelphia. It and other ‘Philadelphia Supply Agencies’ such as the Brass Foundry and the French
Factory were in production by 1780 and continued for the duration of the war.”
Genuine American built muskets from the American Revolution are truly rare and historically significant firearms. Like the United States itself, these muskets are often a “melting pot” of
components and designs of varying origins, including major parts imported from our French allies or captured from the British and their Germanic auxiliaries. This musket is an excellent
example of this. At first glance, it looks very much like a British Brown Bess, especially in the stock which includes the swell at the ramrod entry point and the plateau on the stock around the barrel
tang, and the barrel is also pinned and features a bayonet lug on top that also functions as a sight. However, the barrel is .69 caliber like the French “Charleville” muskets, and the musket also features a
French style “S” shaped side plate but in brass instead of iron (marked with an “X” on the backside). The lock is a more Germanic style. The key identifying marking on this musket is the distinct “SP” (State
Property) on the top of the barrel. This marking is attributed to the State of New Jersey during the American Revolution per multiple publications. There are also a faint “S” marking to the rear, a “D” to the left
at the breech, and what appears to be a faint “US” to the right. “2/HH” is stamped on the stock behind the trigger guard tang, possibly relating to Quarter Master General Henry Hollingsworth. Other details,
primarily the “thumb-nail” heel-plate tang and the lack of a wrist escutcheon, are consistent with muskets stocked in Philadelphia during the revolution per Thayer. The somewhat acorn shaped trigger
guard finial is also consistent with Continental Armory muskets and is secured with traverse pins since there is not a screw passing through the wrist to an escutcheon.
CONDITION: Good with dark brown patina on the barrel and lock along with moderate oxidation and pitting concentrated at the vent, dented muzzle, deep aged patina on the brass mounts, and general
moderate to heavy wear. The stock has some chips and faint cracks and general moderate overall wear. The lock and trigger need adjustments to function consistently. Overall, a very impressive and rare
example of one of the first U.S. military firearms: a Continental Armory musket from Philadelphia during the latter part of the American Revolutionary War.
Estimate: 13,000 - 19,000
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