Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: 1835 conversion

  1. #1
    Big Grit is offline
    Team:
    Battery H, First Regt. Ill. Vol. Light Artillery
    Member
    12437
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Northern Il
    Posts
    42
    Region:
    Western - Illinois and Wisconsin

    1835 conversion

    I just purchased an 1835 Springfied converted to percussion by the "Belgian" method. Lock and tang are stamped 1837, barrel in in very good condition, original length. Is this weapon legal for NSSA?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Butler, TN
    Posts
    229
    Region:
    Tidewater - Virginia and North Carolina
    Sent PM. Bob
    Bob Propst
    6721V
    York Rangers
    Tidewater Region

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Huntsville
    Posts
    3,733
    Region:
    Deep South - Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas
    I just went cruising through the rules and didn't see anything in the sections for small arms or barrels, and nothing turned up when I searched for "belgian" or "cone".

    I do know that cone-in-barrel conversions can be one of the weaker conversion types are can be susceptible to corrosion weakness.

    Steve
    Steve Sheldon
    Commander
    4th Louisiana Delta Rifles
    NRA Certified Muzzleloading Instructor

  4. #4
    Jim_Burgess_2078V is offline
    Team:
    15th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry
    Member
    2078V
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Bull Run Battlefield
    Posts
    355
    Region:
    New England - New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts

    Belgian Percussion Conversion Musket

    A Springfield musket converted to percussion would be N-SSA legal as long as everything is regulation but, as Steve points out, the cone in barrel is a potential weak point. If the barrel is in good condition as you say with no pitting around the cone, it is probably safe to shoot with our relatively light target loads. You should at least check the threads in the cone seat.

    Whether you should subject this original piece in good condition to the wear and tear of skirmishing and the risk of devaluing it is open to debate. I have two Harpers Ferry muskets converted using the Belgian system. Both are rifled and both are in excellent condition very likely because the army soon realized that these percussion converted rifled muskets could not withstand the higher pressures behind a 700+ grain Minie bullet and they were withdrawn from service.

    I would recommend keeping the 1835 Springfield as a collector to preserve its condition and value, not as a shooter. Good reproductions are readily available if you want to shoot smoothbore.

    Jim Burgess, 15th Conn. Vol. Inf,
    (Museum Specialist, Manassas NBP)

  5. #5
    Big Grit is offline
    Team:
    Battery H, First Regt. Ill. Vol. Light Artillery
    Member
    12437
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Northern Il
    Posts
    42
    Region:
    Western - Illinois and Wisconsin
    I already have an excellent smoothbore with a1847 lock redone by Larry Romano, but the condition and difference of this one intrigues me.

  6. #6
    John Holland is offline Moderator
    Team:
    44th NY Volunteer Infantry
    Member
    00973V
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    2,871
    Region:
    Northeast- New York
    Even though the Cone-in-Barrel altered muskets are legal for use in the N-SSA's competitive matches, I would agree with Jim Burgess that using them is not really recommended. The cone seat is shallow with minimal threads and is known to occasionally fail. The shooters in the N-SSA are prone to using a ball that is near to bore size, which increases breech pressures beyond what the musket was designed for. Understand that the original round ball for this musket was .65 caliber, not .678 or .685, etc. Ultimately, the choice is made by the person who owns the musket. I would say to weigh the information and then decide for yourself what the odds of failure may be for a musket that was altered some 170 years ago.

  7. #7
    Big Grit is offline
    Team:
    Battery H, First Regt. Ill. Vol. Light Artillery
    Member
    12437
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Northern Il
    Posts
    42
    Region:
    Western - Illinois and Wisconsin
    Nipple threads and seat look good but I bow to the wisdom and experience of those with much more experience than I in shooting this for competition. I will still shoot it with light loads a little. This concession will save me from trying to alter what must be a 15# trigger.

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 3
    Last Post: 10-23-2017, 12:22 PM
  2. 1835/1840 bayonet
    By Dan Mastin in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 07-19-2017, 06:24 AM
  3. Replies: 3
    Last Post: 07-12-2017, 11:17 AM
  4. For Sale 1816 Type lll (1835) Conversion Musket
    By Jim Mulligan 7288V in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 07-08-2017, 08:32 PM
  5. 3F to 2F conversion
    By mdivancic in forum Shooting Techs, Tips, & Tricks
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 07-23-2010, 02:10 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •