1808 Contract Musket by Winner, Nippes, Steinman,
Philadelphia, c. 1809-12.
44 9/16 in., .71 caliber round barrel, stamped with an eagle head over 'C.T.' on the left side of the breech and 'US' on the top; flat lock plate with pointed tail stamped 'W.N&S./PHILAD' and with a spread wing eagle over 'U.S.' below the pan, the steel and several internal parts marked '5,' the side nails with assembly numbers 'IX'; walnut stock with Charles Wilson's inspector's mark stamped on the left flat behind the side plate and the stamped initials 'BC' or 'BG' and 'GF' stamped below the trigger guard, the right side of the wrist with carved initials 'JH' and assembly number 'IX' stamped inside the lock mortice; iron furniture of proper form, the center band stamped 'A' on the left side, with sling swivels and steel rammer with button head and threaded end.
Overall lg. 59 3/8 in.
Footnotes:
Note
Winner, Nippes & Steinman signed a contract on July 20, 1808, to supply 9,000 stands of arms at the cost of $10.75 each to be delivered to the Schuylkill Arsenal within five years. Surviving records indicate that they delivered at least 3,400 stands the end of 1812 (Peter A. Schmidt, U.S. Military Flintlock Muskets and Their Bayonets, The Early Years 1790-1815, (Woonsocket, R.I.; Andrew Mowbray Publishers, 2006), pp. 208-214).

Barrel is mostly toned to brown and has fine underlying pitting; lock is toned to mostly brown and has very light pitting in the pan area, lock functions properly, steel spring may be a replacement; stock has scratches, dings and dents, and a short tight hairline crack at the front of the lock mortice and breech to the upper side nail hole; butt plate and trigger guard are toned to brown, side plate and barrel bands have brown mottling and minor pitting. There is an obstruction at the breech but no obvious evidence of reconversion.