New York State Museum Collection, H-1968.14.1

MODEL 1812 MUSKET

Manufacturer: Eli Whitney

Dimensions: 2.69" x 2.19"

U.S. flintlock musket marked "N. HAVEN" on lock plate. Musket is in good condition with only a small chip out of stock at lock plate inset. Barrel marked by an encircled "P." "N.Y. 54" on top of butt plate. Initials carved backwards on butt are BCJ. Each part of lock has original inspector mark, "Q." The musket is a U.S. contract musket, model 1812 but made in 1816 by Eli Whitney.

1816 manufacture of a Model 1812 musket. During the war, this musket was manufactured by Eli Whitney, inventor of the Cotton Gin. Prior to this invention, Whitney was an accomplished gunsmith. His most notable achievement was in the use of interchangeable parts to mass produce firearms. While not the inventor of the concept of interchangeable parts, Whitney was one of the first to successfully implement the idea. Whitney’s company supplied contracted muskets to the U.S. Army throughout the War of 1812.