ca.1833 Springfield Musket (shortened ) and a Germanic Cadet Musket- Projects!

[jmoore]

A couple of long term projects- The Springfield ought not be a big drama, but the little Cadet musket is a bit of a mystery. It's also incomplete, which is the biggest problem. Any info out there for reference? (Not the US one- it'll just need cubic money and work.)

Information

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[DaveN]

Is it just me or does that look alot like my thrift store musket.

[jmoore]

Is it just me or does that look alot like my thrift store musket.

Well, your thread got me thinking about these old dust collectors! I'm just slow on the draw...

[gew8805]

The top musket is, of course a US M1816, parts are fairly easy to aquire.

The second musket is not a cadet musket, it is a standard Austrian M1854 Lorenz Rifle Musket. This is the last pattern muzzleloading firearm used by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and many were converted to Wanzl breachloaders in the late 1860s. Large numbers of these were imported by both sides in the American Civil War where it was considered a 1st Class Arm, second only in preference to the British P53 Rifle Musket. You are lucky, the hammer appears to be the only part missing from the original lock and that can be found fairly easily. The big problem will be finding the front band and spring, ramrod, trigger guard, rear sight and a piece of matching European beechwood to stretch the stock. Austrian parts are pretty expensive when you can find them. Here is a site with good photos of a M1854 Lorenz:

Austrian Lorenz

A good place to start your search for parts for both of your projects will be Lodgewood Manufacturing who sells original parts, they are reasonably priced and honest, helpful people:

Untitled

Sorry DaveN, it is vaguely similar to your Norwegian Rifle and uses the same wood for the stock, but that is about as far as it goes.

[DaveN]

The left side looks identical to m1821/41/51 you know the brass piece and the lock looks almost but without the hammer lock(i forgot what that is called) and all the stamps crowns and numbers ,just the shape,. the stock and barrel are not and i guess the trigger guard is missing on the lorenze? That's why i thought it looked a little like the one i have.

[jmoore]

The second musket is not a cadet musket, it is a standard Austrian M1854 Lorenz Rifle Musket.

 

I don't think so! Think 7/8 scale.

[jmoore]

Not my Amberg, and it's been converted to breech loading, but it started life as a possible big brother to my pipsqueak 0.550" bored NON-rifled thing. (Hey, it's pre-metric- what were they using over there?)

So, for comparison:







BTW, anybody w/ a spare breech bolt? Or even a rooted out example to buy for parts or measuring?

[DaveN]

excellent, the things you learn. Father ted said it best, this is small(a toy cow) and those are far away(the ones in the pasture) I guess you had to see the show.

[jmoore]

I'd have thought the Springfield would have given it scale...

[gew8805]

........... my pipsqueak 0.550" bored NON-rifled thing.

Sorry that I seem to have offended you. I could be wrong but I need more information, showing items for size comparison in photographs is very imprecise. For the time being I will stick by my statements so far.

As far as caliber, keep in mind that the Lorenz was a rifled .54 so a smoothbored .55 could have started out as a .54 before being smoothed out here post ACW. What is the barrel length on the "7/8 cadet"? Also, would you take a photograph of the front sight from above so we can see the shape? And, if possible, let us know the length of pull, the Lorenz is considered short by many shooters.

BTW, nice Bavarian.