April 24-25, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/24/2019
The Burnside carbine was one of the most popular of all Civil War carbines and saw action in just about every battle of the Civil War, but like many of the companies contracted to manufacture arms during the war, the secession of hostilities left the United States Government with a huge surplus of weapons at the end of 1865. Moving forward to hostilities in the West, the Government chose to alter numerous Springfields and Sharps rifles before officially adopting the US Springfield Model 1873. This left companies like Burnside and numerous others fully equipped to manufacture weapons but no more government orders. Many simply disappeared from the landscape, while others, like Burnside, tried to switch over to the manufacture of sporting rifles. This is one of those examples, taking the basic Burnside action and fitting it with a sporting barrel and stock. They made the attempt to market these rifles to stave off what was to be the inevitable failure of the company. It is obvious today that it was ineffective. There is no known actual total of Burnside post-Civil War sporting rifles and given how few examples exist today, production never really took off, leaving us few examples which are now avidly sought by collectors of single shot sporting rifles. The octagon barrel is unmarked. The sporting forearm features a decorative pewter tip. The action was line any other 5th Model Burnside. Walnut stock profile is standard and was finished in a more commercial varnish finish. Frames were case colored. Small parts, screws and upper tang were finished in high polish nitre blue. Features globe front sight and sporting ladder rear sight, high polished blue bolt. CONDITION: It is obvious this rifle saw very little use as it remains in excellent all original condition with a mirror, like new bore. Retains 95% original factory blue on barrel. Frame retains approximately 40-50% case colors, some bright, balance patina with some light age freckling. Trigger guard has flashes of blue mixed with patina. Most of the screw heads are square with generous amounts of nitre blue. Stocks are proud to metal, highly finished with nice grain. If you collect single shot sporting rifles, you will find this example extremely difficult to add to your collection and would be hard-pressed to find another in such lovely factory original condition.
Caliber/Bore
.54 Percussion