The inception and spread of
percussion cap capable weapons in the years following the
Napoleonic Wars had a large impact on European firearm design. Unlike earlier
matchlock or
flintlock ignition systems, percussion caps fed by a percussion lock greatly reduced the danger of weapon misfires. This advantage led the state of Bavaria to launch a firearms modernization program that intended to provide the Bavarian Army with a musket capable of utilizing the percussion cap. This program, begun in 1839, resulted in what would become the Bavarian Model 1842 Musket (M1842.) in
Amberg and adopted into Bavarian service. Following the invention of the
Minié ball, the M1842 was rifled with five groves to better accommodate the French ammunition. The Bavarian army retired the M1842 after adopting a
new rifle in 1858. Of the Bavarian equipment offered to the United States for purchase, the M1842 was evaluated as the only weapon of sufficient quality for Union usage. An unknown number of the weapons were sold to the Union, with sources referencing around 3000 muskets being sold as surplus by the US government in 1865 after the conclusion of the Civil War. == References ==