May 28th 2011 Firearms (07)
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/27/2011
Overall length: 55 – ½”. Barrel length: 39 – ½”. This rifled musket is a “historic” one in that it is a marked US Springfield - “1861”, the earliest year of that company’s rifled muskets, which has a very low survival rate primarily because they were issued to the Union Army when the Civil War began. Most surviving Civil War Springfields are dated “1862” or later. This old war horse was “ridden hard, put up wet, and left to dry” as the saying goes. While this piece is in “attic condition” (surface-wise) there is tremendous wear on the stock and also the metal parts. It appears to have seen long and hard service, perhaps after the war as well as during. Nevertheless, it stands as it stood when it was consigned to the attic or barn. Heavily worn stock with no sharp edges but with dark, oxidized wood (no inspector marks remaining) surface. The musket has all metal components (mostly plum brown) intact except for the nosecap and the front sling swivel. All metal is smooth except for the expected pitting at breech (no barrel markings left). The heavily pitted bayonet must have been stored elsewhere.