United States Model 1819 Hall Rifle .52 Cal Flintlock Rifle Antique 1837
SORRY FOR: $2,875
WOA#: WY240229RK002
Make: United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry
Model: Model 1819 Hall Rifle
Serial#: NSN
Year of Manufacture: 1812
Caliber: .52 Cal
Action Type: Tip-up breechloader, flintlock
Markings: The top of the breech block is marked “J.H. Hall”, “H.Ferry”, “U.S.”, and “1837”.
Barrel Length: 32.5”
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a blade canted off to the left. The rear sight is a left-side biased v-notch blade dovetailed into the top of the barrel shank. The sights are off-set to the left because of the lock being in-line with the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The wood stock has a straight grip, metal nose cap with cut out for the included ramrod, barrel band with sling loop, barrel band, trigger guard assembly mounted sling loop, and a metal buttplate. The buttplate has patinaed and there are scuffs, scratches, and oxidation throughout. There are compression marks, scuffs, and scratches throughout the wood. There is a hairline crack on the left side of the forend as well as an area of gouges in the wood. There are a few small gouges in the wood on the underside of the buttstock. There is wear along the edge of the ramrod channel. The LOP measures 14.25” from the front of the trigger to the rear of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Patina
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is light erosion in the bore.
In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 9 out of 10.
Most antique firearms have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the use of black powder. When fired, black powder reacts corrosively. NRA Antique Firearm Conditions Standards are quite lenient for bores. In some cases, the NRA standards disregarded the bore’s condition for collectors’ firearms.
Overall Condition: The finish on all the metal parts has turned to a patina. There are scuffs, scratches, and areas of oxidation throughout. The breech face has wear to its finish and there are a couple small spots of rust in the breech interior. There is wear to the finish along the sides and edges of the receiver. There is light pitting on the interior surfaces of the receiver. There is wear to the finish along the sides of the action/breech. The screw heads show light to moderate use. The markings are legible. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this musket. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: The musket comes with a piece of gunflint installed.
Our Assessment: The Model 1819 Hall Rifle was the first breech-loading rifle adopted on a wide-scale by a national military. First patented by John Hall in 1811, the rifle was adopted into U.S. military service as the Model 1819. The M1819 was initially adopted for use by specialist troops as the rifles were too expensive to arm the entire military. The arsenal at Harpers Ferry was selected to exclusively produce the M1819, with the first rifles coming off the assembly line in the mid 1820s. John Hall was brought into the arsenal to supervise the production of the rifles. Hall rifles were unique for their time not only because of their breech-loading capability but also for parts interchangeability, with the ability to mix and match parts and quickly change out any damaged ones. The M1819 would never become the standard rifle of the Army, but it did see light service into the American Civil War, though by that time many had been converted to use percussion caps. This example was built in 1837, which was near the end of the production run. For being over 180 years old, the stock is in nice shape with only a thin crack on the left side of the forend. The finish on the metal has almost entirely been converted to a patina, with wear along the sides of the action and receiver. The bore is in excellent shape for as old as it is, with some light erosion but strong rifling. This is a nice example of one of the most interesting U.S. military long arms of the 19th century and not something that comes up very often. Please see our photos.
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