This Civil War era single-shot muzzleloader is a .58 caliber, Model 1855 percussion rifle-musket in good overall condition. Longarm has a 40” round barrel with broad three-groove rifling. Stock is secured to the stock with three-barrel bands and three band springs. All furniture is iron including the lockplate, hammer, buttplate, triggerguard, swivels, and ramrod. The nose cap is brass.

All lockplate stampings visible. The large spread-winged eagle on the kidney-shaped, hinged primer door retains very good detail. The date “1858”, behind the large, high spur hammer and the “U.S. / SPRINGFIELD” stamping forward of the hammer are strong and crisp. Barrel breech area is pitted with no date visible. The eagle head and proof marks are faintly visible on the barrel left facet. Original nipple. Beveled lockplate is fitted with a C-shaped hammer and with 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 very strong and smooth. Hammer has a knife-edged, bottom lip that severed the expended portion of the tape. Musket has a long-range rear sight and an iron blade front sight. Mechanics crisp and tight. Bore is clear with nice rifling. Original, steel, swelled-shank, tulip-head ramrod; there is something in the ramrod channel causing the ramrod to stick out a half inch. All barrel bands are original, marked with “U”, and secured to the stock via flat iron springs. Buttplate is stamped “US”. All gun metal has a dark patina.

Walnut stock is solid with no cracks or splits but has numerous dings and dents typical of a piece over 150 years old. There are two shallow gouges approximately 3/4” in diameter on the right side at the wrist and shoulder stock. There is another ½” chip missing on the left side just behind the front barrel band. One government cartouche is faintly visible on the flat opposite the lockplate. Stamped near the cartouche is “F / 34”. Some initials are carved on the left side of the shoulder stock.

An original Springfield Model 1855 rifle-musket that looks to have “been there”. [jet]

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