This is a scarce Springfield Armory Type-3 1855 Rifle Musket, using Willyard’s terminology, and has matching 1860 lockplate and barrel dates and a visible cartouche. This version retained developments implemented in the Springfield production into 1859, including the original Maynard tape priming system, etc., and used the small leaf-style rear sight adopted around 1858, but omitted the patchbox and switched from a brass end cap to an iron one. These were produced at two different points in time. The first group totaled 2,200 guns, which Willyard estimates started in production in August 1859 when the supply of brass tips was exhausted and concluded with production of 200 of the pattern in November 1859 , when use of a patch box similar to that on the 1855 rifle began. A second group of 4952, however, were produced in May and June 1861, dropping the patch box to speed production just before manufacture of the Model 1861 began. “These arms should have all been built using 1861-dated locks and barrels. In both cases, however, exceptions may have occurred.” (Our emphasis. Willyard, 81.)

Thus, this rifle musket could have come from overflow of the first group into early 1860. An October 1859 letter indicates they expected to have the new machine cutting out the patchbox cavity running in November, but there could have been delays or a problem with it in early 1860 resulting further production of the Type-3. Perhaps a better alternative is to see this as one of the May-June 1861 production when the armory both wanted to speed up production and would have wanted to use up old pattern parts.

The gun is complete and all original with the exception of a replaced front sight blade. All bands, springs, swivels, rear sight with leaves, and the rod are place. The action is crisp. The bore is very good, semi-bright, with visible rifling, and would likely clean out even better. The barrel is generally smooth metal and shows as an even thin brown with some gray metal showing along the edges above the forestock, shading to a softer caramel toward the breech. The V/P/[eagle head] barrel proofs are sharp. The top barrel flat and area around the nipple show small pitting from the corrosive effects of percussion caps, but the 1860 barrel date can still be made out and is unambiguous. The lock plate and Maynard primer door stamps are sharp and the metal is smooth. The lockplate matches the barrel in showing mostly brown with a mix of gray, as does the hammer, though with perhaps a bit more gray showing. The buttplate matches, with a good US stamp, and shows just some crustiness along with small handling dings and scratches on the shoulder from resting on the ground.

The wood has good, deep brown color and a tight fit to the metal. There is a little rounding to the edges of the forestock from handling, a couple of small chips to the edge between the middle and upper bands on the left and a longer, but shallow chip on the right in the same area. Both are shallow and old, however, and not very noticeable. We see just one small chip at the upper front edge of the lockplate and a short narrow and stable crack at center rear of the lock. The offside shows some rounding to edges from handling, and a short hairline from the upper/forward lock screw to the breech, which is fairly common, along with a few handling dings. The upper cartouche has some dings over it, but the JS cartouche of James Stillman is mostly visible below. The fit around the breechplug tang is tight, as with the other metal. The buttstock has just the usual small handling dings and scratches, more near the buttplate than on the flats. The right side shows what looks light a very lightly scratched in “J” that could, however, be just a scratch. There are no other personal markings on the gun though it was plainly issued and carried.

This would make a nice addition to a collection of 1855 rifle musket variations as well as a good early war infantry long-arm that would have been the very latest before the production of the Model 1861 really kicked in.  [sr] [ph:L]

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