VERY SCARCE US GOVERNMENT PURCHASE MERRILL RIFLE

$5,950.00

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Item Code: 490-7012

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This Merrill breechloading rifle is one of just 566 contracted for by the US government in December 1861 and delivered from August through December 1862, inspected and marked by Zadock Butt, and known to have been issued to several Union regiments, including the 21st Indiana and 6th Michigan Infantry. The rifle rates about Fine for condition, with the metal rating a bit higher than the wood, which shows some handling marks from issue and use in the field and a painted rack number on the left butt, but nevertheless shows some good color, edges, sharp inspection cartouche and crisp cutout for the patch box.

The rifle is complete and all original with bands, springs, ramrod, sling swivels, etc., all in place. The wood to metal fit is tight. The barrel shows smooth metal with 90 percent original, thinning, blue, has the bayonet lug and both front and rear sights in place in place as well. The loading assembly shows crisp markings on the top of the lever though with some gray showing from rubbing to the finish from natural handling and a little salt and peppering on the right from percussion caps in firing. The lockplate has crisp markings as well, and very nice, slightly muted, mottled case colors that show on the bolster and hammer also, though not as strong. The rifle is mounted in brass, which shows a pleasing, matching, untouched medium patina, with some scratches to underside of the triggerbow, and nice, muted blue to the screw heads, whose slots are sharp.

The wood has a good, even brown tone, good fit and good surface, though showing various handling and storage marks. The left forestock shows some light handling dings from the upper band forward, is very good from there back to the counterpane, which shows various handling dings, shallow divots, and a short hairline at edge of the loading lever, but very crisp ZB cartouche. The left buttstock has some small checks near the buttplate and a painted “19” or more likely “61” when read muzzle up, in old white, slightly yellowing paint. The right forestock shows scattered handling dings and two or three shallow gouges forward of the lock apron and again to its rear that might be from standing in a gun rack. (Behind the latter is a small, raised circle in the wood that is slightly darker, but has matching grain and does not look like a repair- perhaps a fault in the wood.) The buttstock is very good, with just a few small handling marks and the cut out for the patch box is crisp.

The markings are sharp: the breech lever is marked J.H. MERRILL BALTO. / PAT. JULY 1858. The lockplate marked forward of the hammer, J.H. MERRILL BALTO. / PAT. JULY 1858 / APL. 9 MAY 21-28-61; and at rear of the plate serial number 9096, which matches the number on the loading assembly. The interior of the patchbox door is numbered “0/48,” an assembly batch number. The “ZB” US government inspector cartouche of Zadock Butt is sharp. Butt was a civilian employee of the Ordnance Department who had worked at the Harpers Ferry Armory and during the Civil War was retained as an inspector of contract arms. The rifle has a strong action. The bore is bright, shiny and clean with good rifling.

James Merrill of Baltimore had been in the small arms business since the 1840s, supplied carbines to the U.S. as part of Merrill, Latrobe and Thomas in the 1850s, and was involved in altering Jenks carbines, M1841 rifles, and M1842 muskets to his system. During the war he supplied roughly 14,000 carbines to the government, but only 769 rifles by direct purchase or contract. This encompasses 3 by purchase in June 1861, 566 under a December 1861 contract delivered from April through December 1862, and an additional 200 on an October 1863 contract, delivered in November, the latter being second model rifles bearing the date 1863 and using knobs on the latch release of the loading assembly instead of the flat, serrated release catch, as on this one.

Like Merrill’s carbines, the rifle is .54 caliber and single-shot, loaded at the breech by putting the hammer at half cock, unlatching and pulling back the lever on top of the breech to pull back a breech bolt and insert a paper cartridge fired by a conventional percussion cap. The rifle is brass mounted, including the nose cap, bands, triggerguard and side plate, buttplate and patch box in the right butt stock. The 33-inch barrel is fitted with lug for a saber bayonet on the right muzzle and a front and rear sight, the long base of the latter forming a catch for the lever latch.

Given this is a first model, as shown by the lever release catch, it certainly falls within the 566 delivered in 1862 and intended for the 21st Indiana, serving under Butler in Louisiana. Some men in the outfit had privately purchased Merrill Rifles and reports were favorable, leading to a request to so arm the entire unit. Not all of the government purchased rifles seem to have gone to that unit, and it is difficult to separate them out from privately purchased weapons. Some may have made their way into the 10th Michigan and the 4th Arkansas, as well as some cavalry regiments such at the 6th Kansas, 3rd Wisconsin and 11th Ohio. The 6th Michigan Infantry seems one of the few regiments where one can say for certain, since their Merrills seem to have been borrowed from 21st Indiana after it was changed to heavy artillery service. Of Merrill rifles in general, perhaps the best known were those of the 1st Mass. Sharpshooters, who aided in the repulse of Pickett’s Charge here at Gettysburg.

This is a very good example of a rare and sought after Civil War breech loading percussion U.S. martial rifle and a pattern known to have seen field use. [sr]  [ph:L]

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