This Civil War era single-shot muzzleloader is a .58 caliber early Springfield Model 1855 percussion rifle-musket in excellent overall condition. Longarm has a 40” round barrel with broad three-groove rifling. Stock is secured to the stock with three-barrel bands and band springs.  All furniture is iron including the lockplate, hammer, bolster, buttplate, triggerguard, swivels and ramrod save the brass nose cap which changed to iron in 1859.  All gunmetal has been cleaned and exhibits just small areas of fine rust pitting overall. All metal wears a dull gray coloring.  Lockplate stampings very sharp and clear and show the large spreadwinged eagle on the front-hinged primer door and the date “1858” stamped behind the large spur hammer.  Beveled lockplate is fitted with a C-shaped hammer and the Maynard tape priming system. System employed a waterproof paper tape of percussion caps inserted into the primer magazine that set a cap unto the nipple when the hammer was pulled back and trigger pulled. Tape priming system mechanics strong and smooth. Hammer has a knife-edge lip that severed the expended portion of the tape.  Musket has a large long range rear sight graduated to 800 yards and an iron blade front sight. 

This rifle-musket was a government arsenal product from Springfield, Massachusetts.  Over two hundred and fifty thousand such longarm weapons were produced for the US Ordnance Dept during the war years.  All gunmetal cleaned and exhibits a dull gray finish.  Lockplate surface wears a mottled light gray patina with a smooth finish. Lockplate tang markings with the “US” / SPRINGFIELD” forward of the hammer are sharp and clear. Barrel breech area clean and exhibits a strong, sharp date “1858” on the flat.  Also, weak proof marks visible on the barrel left facet.  Original nipple and bolster.  Mechanics crisp and tight.  Bore is dusty but should clean to bright. Rifling visible but not strong. The steel, swelled-shank, tulip-head ramrod is original and retains its threaded tip. All barrel bands are original and secured to the stock via flat iron springs.  Black walnut stock is solid with no cracks or splits. Wood surface just lightly cleaned. One light government cartouche visible on the flat. All screws not buggered up, save for minor slot wear on the bolster screw. Longarm retains both swivels as well as its original but unmarked leather musket sling.  A very fine representative Model 1855 Springfield rifle-musket of the Civil War era.

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