The “special model 1861” was a jump ahead in design from the 1861 Springfield. Colt seems to have been the driving force behind the changes, many influenced by the Enfield pattern: a recurved and beveled hammer, thinner lock plate, elimination of the clean-out screw on the bolster, straight-shank ramrod, and split barrel bands tightened with screws, eliminated band springs. Colt supplied rifle muskets on this pattern, as did Amoskeag, and, as here, the firm of Lamson, Goodnow and Yale of Windsor, Vt. The changes were well thought of and adopted at Springfield in the production of the Type-1 1863 pattern Springfield rifle musket (though the elimination of the band springs was reconsidered.)

This is a good example of the L.G.&Y. rifle musket. The wood and metal were cleaned, but present well, with the metal an even steel gray and only light peppering from firing at the breech. The wood was varnished, but has a faint inspector’s cartouche on the left side flat. The stamps in the metal on crisp, though with some wear to the barrel date from firing. Both sights are present. All bands, sling swivels, and rod are there. The wood shows handling dings on the forestock and butt. The left shows a chip out behind the nose cap, low down, along the ramrod channel. The ramrod channel has good edges lower down, but some chips from the middle band up from drawing and replacing the ramrod while loading. The side flat shows some handling dings also, but the rectangular outline of an inspector’s cartouche is visible just behind and slightly below the rear lock screw. Edges of the wood are good along the barrel, with some rounding from handling forward of the middle band, and the lock apron and side flat show some rounding, but the fit of the metal and wood is uniformly good throughout.

The lock plate is crisply dated “1863” at rear of the hammer, with an eagle over a U.S. forward of the hammer, and “L.G. & Y.” over “Windsor-Vt” under the bolster. The company used slightly different markings each year. This has the large eagle and italicized location, which is correct for the 1863 date. The eagle on the bolster is not visible. The top of the breech shows some light peppering and brown from the corrosive percussion cap primers. The 1863 barrel date is visible, however: just a little light on the bottom of the first two digits. The V/P/[eagle head] barrel proof on the left flat is fine. The breechplug tang is stamped “13,” certainly a rack number. Just below this is a different number stamped in the wood that seems to be “29.” The buttplate is good, smooth metal, gray with some brown spots, but a clear U.S. on the tang. As with the other metal, the fit to the wood is tight. Bore is near mint, and would clean to near perfect.

L.G.&Y. were the successors to Robbins and Lawrence, themselves successors to Robbins, Kendall and Lawrence, both the latter firms being successful contractors for the M1841 rifle, and engaging with other arms production, including deals with Sharps. Following the old business paradigm of “expand and fold,” however, they went into receivership when their connection with Sharps ceased and, more importantly, the British government pulled out of a deal for some 25,000 Enfield pattern rifle muskets after British gunmakers protested and the Crimean War came to and end. With the beginning of the Civil War, L.G.&Y. received two U.S. contracts for 25,000 rifle muskets apiece, dated July 11 and October 7, 1861. They started with about 100 workers and subcontracted for barrels and stocks, but expanded their facilities and at their peak employed some 400 workers and delivered all 50,000 starting September 1862 and concluding in December 1864.

This is a good example of a regulation issue Civil War rifle musket with a good mid-war date and one that has some interesting arms production history attached to it. [sr] [ph:L]

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