RM1600 New York variant US Contract Musket c1850. Smoothbore steel barrel, 70 cal. With bayonet lug and steel ramrod. Round tail flintlock with roller frizzen marked, I.P. Moore Warranted. Walnut stock with cross hatched wrist. All steel hardware with three barrel rings. Overall length of the musket is 56” long. A small silver nameplate at the tang and lack of military marks indicate this may have been a rifle intended for a civilian market. Moore was a gunsmith who ran a military store on Broadway, Manhattan, NYC from 1820 – 1880. Moore likely imported this musket, including the lock, which appears to be British made. This musket is a variant of the original French 1766 style musket, which spawned a variety of similar musket models through the War of 1812 into the Civil War. For years, the basic model was contracted by the government to numerous gun makers to supply state militias. Since this gun has no other marks than the name on the lock, it is impossible to define the actual maker or exact militia assigned, or as stated above; it may have been intended for civilian use.
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