Edward Maynard originally intended to join the military but was forced to drop out of West Point due to ill health. He subsequently became arguably the nation's leading dentist and was also an active inventor. He is most famous today for his automatic tape primer which ultimately proved too unreliable for sustained military use and his more dependable breech loading single shot rifles and carbines. Only 2,000 of these muskets were converted by D.S. Nippes of Philadelphia in the late 1840s using Maynard's patented tape primer. These helped pave the way for the Maynard primed Model 1855 series of arms. It has a bayonet stud on the bottom of the barrel, brass blade front sight, "1841" on the lock and barrel tang, standard Nippes Model 1840 markings including government inspection marks, "EDWARD MAYNARD/PATENTEE/1846" on the primer door, "X" above and below an "EB" cartouche followed by "WAT" and a "WAT" cartouche, and "WM" stamped by the trigger guard tang.

Very fine with primarily gray and brown patina, some spots of minor pitting, and general minor marks and scratches. The stock has some dents on the butt and left flat and some light scratches and pressure marks throughout. The markings including the cartouches are legible. Mechanically excellent. This is a solid example of a vary rare and early Maynard primed firearm and an important piece in the evolution of U.S. martial arms that precedes the U.S. Model 1855 series.