Description
Up for auction is an exceptional and rare Harpers Ferry Model 1808 flintlock musket chambered in .69 caliber. Manufactured during the early years of the U.S. armory system, this musket represents one of America’s earliest standardized infantry arms. While most Model 1808 muskets were later converted to percussion, this example remarkably remains in its original flintlock configuration — a rarity highly sought after by collectors of early U.S. military firearms.
This musket features a 43-inch smoothbore barrel that has aged gracefully, showing a rich brown patina consistent with well-preserved black powder arms of the early 19th century. The 13-inch length of pull and overall stock profile exhibit solid integrity with only minor, cosmetic age cracks — no structural damage, no repairs. The lock mechanism operates with precision, offering strong spring tension and positive engagement at both half and full cock, exactly as it should.
The Harpers Ferry 1808 marked a defining moment in American small arms development — produced under federal contract during the formative years of the national armory, it helped establish the design lineage that would evolve into the Model 1816. To encounter one still in flintlock form is to see American ordnance history unaltered.
A cornerstone piece for any serious antique arms collection, this Harpers Ferry Model 1808 stands as an artifact of craftsmanship, service, and survival.
Offered by Old Steel Historical Firearms in partnership with New Steel Tactical. Follow us on Instagram for more original American and European arms: https://www.instagram.com/oldsteelguns/
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