$9,875.00
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Item Code: 490-2958
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This is very good example of a Richmond Type-II rifle musket made in mid-1862 showing the beveled low-hump lock plate introduced in March 1862 and using the early 1862 die strike replaced later in the year by the “closed-loop” date. It has the correct brass buttplate and nose cap; the iron barrel bands show the correct median placed directional U’s that don’t line up with the band springs; the rear sight is missing, but the barrel shows the correct inletting for the steady pin. The wood is exceptionally nice for a Confederate long arm, though there is some searing under the hammer and pitting of the bolster and breech. This was thought by older collectors to be just careless handling and maintenance, but is now recognized as characteristic of Confederate long arms using the imported powerful British high-pressure percussion caps, which were designed to ensure ignition of combustible cartridges, but were subject to complaint about their explosive power and removed from British service in 1864.
The lock markings are sharp and read 1862 at rear of the hammer and C.S. / RICHMOND VA forward. The die used for the date is the same used on the earlier high-hump versions. A different 1862 die was not used on the high-hump implies the die used here was replaced sometime after March 1862, the date at which the “hump,” left over from the Maynard primer configuration of the M1855 lockplates, was reduced and beveled on the front edge for easier placement of the percussion cap. The barrel is smooth forward of the rear sight and on the breechplug tang. The bolster and breech are pitted, obscuring the barrel date, but the barrel proofs are mostly visible: the V and P are clear, the eaglehead less so. Some of the screw slots show turning. All bands, springs, and swivels are in place. The lock, iron bands, triggerguard, brass nose cap and buttplate some age darkening but good surface. The front sight is correct and in place. The trumpet-head ramrod is an old replacement.
The metal to wood fit is very good and the wood has a nice warm brown tone, generally good surface and edges. The lock apron has just a little rounding from handling at upper right. The side flat shows slight rounding fore and aft, and four or five small dings next to the breech. There are some small dings and scratches to the side flat, along with some thin lines drawn to form open cross hatching toward the rear and what may be an attempt an initial, perhaps an “F,” but none of these are particularly unsightly or disfiguring. There are some minor chips at buttplate, the right forestock shows two small dings above the lower band spring, and a little wear at rear of the upper band. The left shows the same marks forward of the lower band, likely from moving it, a little darkening forward of the middle band, about where a shooter’s palm would rest, and one shallow divot on the edge just below the upper band. The ramrod channel shows chipping below the nose cap and some lighter wear below the upper band with a couple of small, old, edge chips, but nothing offensive either.
The mechanics and rifling are good. The bore is pitted and dirty; it has 8 groove straight rifling. The brass has an untouched, aged patina. This is a classic Confederate rifle musket made in Richmond on the machinery taken in 1861 from Harpers Ferry. The time frame for production of this one places it in Confederate hands in time for most of the major battles of the war and it would look great in a CS infantry display and hold its own in a specialized collection of CS long arms or Richmonds. [sr] [ph:L]
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