This is a project gun.  A rare example of a Whitney Contract musket for the State of Massachusetts.  See Flayderman's 8th Edition. Page 243 for more into.  This is a real Whitney...built by the old man, not his son-in-laws, or son, but THE Eli Whitney and inventor of the cotton gin.  This is one of the guns you've read about in your history books....where they claim Whitney helped invent large scale production.  These muskets were built in 1815 for the state of Massachusetts and totalled only about 400 arms.  Massachusetts and the US Gov't gotten into a big fight over who was to pay the bill.  Seems US Gov't wasn't very pleased with Mass.'s support during the War of 1812 and refused to pay for arms for their state Militia.  Barrel and stock marked "M.S."  It also has the correct 5 digit number engraved between the straps of the front band.  Old Belgian-cone conversion to percussion.  A good gun except for a split in the stock that runs through the 2nd band.  No rod.  Lock marked New Haven. 

Item# 0685

SOLD