This 1855 Pattern Rifle Musket is in excellent, untouched condition with matching dates in the second year of production and original regimental, company and “rack” markings. The metal has a smooth surface and the iron has thin brown patina mixed with some underlying gray at the breech, and just a few spots of crustiness along the barrel edge. The brass stock tip has a pleasing mustard patina. The Springfield V/P/eaglehead barrel proofs are sharp, as are the 1858 barrel date, 1858 lock date aft of the hammer, U.S./ Springfield stamp forward, and Springfield eagle on the primer door. The nipple is sharp and not battered. Only the clean-out screw slot shows minor signs of turning. Both sights are in place, including the rear slide sight, as are all bands, springs, swivels, and the correct ramrod. The mechanics are good. The bore is strong, just dark and showing some dirt, but should clean up great.

The wood has good color and surface with good edges along the barrel showing just a couple of minor handling dings, and some shallow scratches on the sides. The ramrod channel is also very good, with some minor bumps but no splintering or long wear spots. The left stock flat shows two very visible inspector cartouches. The left butt flat shows a short, narrow hairline that is stable, coming from the mid-point of the butt plate, and some small round indentations or pressure marks about the size of a small pencil eraser scattered toward the buttplate and some shallow curling scratches at the middle, but no significant chips or wear spots. The fit of the buttplate, like all the other mounts, is tight.

The 1855 series of arms introduced a pistol carbine and maintained a shorter rifle for light troops and longer rifle of musket length for line infantry, but also introduced the Maynard tape primer and a standard .58 caliber, the latter being a better idea than the former. Aside from two or three model arms, production in quantity of the 1855 Rifle Musket started at Springfield in 1857. Given the matching 1858 barrel and lock dates, and that production of the barrels tended to lag behind that of the locks, our example was likely produced in early-to-mid-1858 and we might further narrow its date of assembly to May through August. In mid-January 1858 Springfield had been directed to discontinue mounting the slide sight in view of a shorter-base three-leaf rear sight that was in the works. Some portion of the 975 rifle muskets made in January likely had the slide sights mounted, but from February into May (almost) completed weapons were stored without any rear sights. Delays in producing the new sights then resulted in resumption of mounting the slide sights until August 1858, when the new ones finally became available. Our example has a complete, undisturbed long-range sight from this mid-year period that fully matches its 1858 barrel and lock dates.

The regimental markings at the breech indicate issue to Company F of a 9^th infantry regiment with a weapon number 105 that in theory would correspond to an individual soldier’s assigned number for marking his equipment. The number of Civil War infantry regiments designated “9th,” volunteer and militia, is large, but a quick check of Todd (Am. Mil. Equipage) offers the 9^th Indiana Vol. Militia as armed in 1861 with the 1855 Rifle Musket. They mustered in for three months service in April 1861 and served in West Virginia, seeing action at Laurel Hill and Carricks Ford.

Another, perhaps stronger, candidate is Company F of the 9^th US Infantry. The regiment was stationed at various forts in the Washington Territory and involved in conflicts with native Americans, including the 1858 “punitive expedition” of Col. Wright, the regimental commander and we know that Company F served from 1857 to 1860 as escort and guard for the U.S. surveying team of the International Boundary Commission charged with marking out the U.S.-Canadian border along the 49^th parallel as they worked their way east from the mouth of the Campbell River. The regiment had initially been armed with M1841 rifles and by some testimony was rearmed with the M1855 rifle, but some letters indicate Co. C received “muskets” (presumably the 1855 Rifle Muskets) in 1860, opening the possibility that Company F was so armed and the markings are from its first issue.

The is very nice condition Model 1855 Rifle Musket with interesting regimental markings. The M1855 RM in itself is a significant weapon in the history of U.S. army shoulder arms and this one is is a great early-production example with the desirable long-range slide sight and brass nose cap showing a history of army issue. This would look great displayed with some of the other weapons, gear, and uniforms the army was experimenting with just before the Civil War. [sr] [ph:L]

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