SAWED-OFF PALMETTO ARMORY MODEL 1842 PERCUSSION MUSKET, CA. 1852–1853

Condition as shown. 

Originally manufactured at the Palmetto Armory in Columbia, South Carolina, as a full-stock, muzzle-loading smoothbore musket, this example was later altered in the field to a compact, sawed-off configuration. The lockplate markings, though softened by age, retain the Palmetto Armory logo and model designation, while the left barrel flat bears the distinctive “Wm. Glaze & Co.” hallmark of the armory’s founder, William Glaze. The buttplate is stamped “SC,” confirming South Carolina ownership, and a sling swivel remains mounted ahead of the trigger guard. The barrel measures approximately 20 inches, with an overall length of about 36 inches.

Firearms from the Palmetto Armory were produced in very limited quantities under a short-lived state contract in the early 1850s, and many were issued to South Carolina militia units at the outbreak of the Civil War. The reduction of this musket’s barrel and stock likely reflects Confederate wartime adaptation to create a more portable firearm for cavalry, partisan, or guard use, or as a battlefield expedient when standardized arms were scarce. Such modifications were common in the South, where limited resources forced soldiers and civilians alike to refashion available weapons to meet immediate needs.

Glaze (1815-1883) was originally a silversmith and jeweler in Columbia, South Carolina. In 1851, the Palmetto Armory received a contract from the state to produce weapons for its militia, including an order for 6,000 percussion muskets like this one. These guns would then be used by Confederate soldiers in the Civil War. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio. 

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Guns, Firearms, Revolvers, Rifles, Longarms, Handguns, Arms & Armor]