December 16, 17, & 18, 2020 Field & Range Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/16/2020
Back action percussion military rifle with blued barrel secured by three flat brass spring retained barrel bands. Lock marked “H”, dated “1858” and serial numbered “424”. Matching assembly/serial number also present on stock, breech, and buttplate. Furniture other than bands of steel. Adjustable L-shaped leaf rear sight with additional apertures in long leaf of typical Spanish pattern, secured to the barrel by a clamping band with musket style combination front sight/bayonet socket bayonet lug. Spanish pattern ramrod with brass band around head. Sling swivels on middle band and trigger guard bow. European hardwood stock with single lock screw escutcheon on reverse and dated and serial numbered to match the balance of the gun. Like so many Spanish percussion military arms of the period, including the Spanish Modelo 1857 Rifle that replaced this pattern of rifle, the gun is strongly influenced by existing European percussion rifle patterns, with some distinctly Spanish features like the rear sight and the ramrod. These arms saw heavy use with the Spanish military in colonial service, especially Cuba, and remained in service even after more modern designs had made these rifles obsolete. An article published on July 1, 1864 in the Spanish newspaper La Iberia refers to the use of these obsolete Spanish rifles by troops in Cuba and the sale of the more modern models to Confederate buyers. The article reads in part: “Units of the Spanish Army in Cuba are currently equipped with expensive and inefficient Liège rifles, while La Euscalduna (a Spanish arms contractor) has to sell their precision weapons to the Confederate South Commissioners, eager to buy them.” Spanish percussion military rifles of any pattern are extremely rare in the US and this is a very crisp and very scarce example of one of the Liège arms referred to by La Iberia. CONDITION: Very good to fine. Barrel retains some thinning blue mixed with a moderately oxidized plum-brown patina with some scattered surface roughness and scattered pinpricking. Lock is mechanically functional and operates crisply on all positions. Brass has a thickly oxidized and untouched patina. Stock is solid, full-length, and crisp. The entire gun has the remnants of a thick coating of Cosmoline with the heaviest build up in the protected areas, nooks and crannies. Bore is apparently very good or better with visible rifling, but a thick layer of Cosmoline makes accurate inspection impossible. A wonderful, complete, and correct example of a scarce Spanish military rifle that is well preserved by the added Cosmoline which can be removed. TP
Item Dimensions: L - 49"
Caliber/Bore
15mm / .59 Caliber
Manufacturer
Belgian Contract