This Special Model 1861 Contract Rifle-Musket by Lamson, Goodnow and Yale, dated 1863, saw service in both Union and Confederate hands, having been captured or collected by Confederate forces and passed through the C.S. Ordnance cleaning and repair system for re-issue to southern troops. The underside of the stock forward of the triggerguard is struck with a “Y” of the same form as the A, Q, T, F, and Z cataloged as C.S. ordnance inspectors in Knot’s ground-breaking “Captured and Collected” Confederate Reissued Firearms. The list has grown slightly, including also a “D” and our own discovery of an ampersand (&) marked rifle indicating that while the markings certainly denote individual inspectors, they need not correspond to personal initials. Estimates on the number of firearms passing through the Confederate C & R system run as high as 200,000 gathered by ordnance teams and civilians and another 50,000 turned in by C.S. units. Most of these guns came from eastern battlefields that Confederate victories left accessible, and the repair work was concentrated at facilities at Danville, Staunton, Lynchburg, and Richmond.

The “Special Model 1861” was an improvement on the M1861 Springfield, using a recurved and beveled hammer, thinner lock plate, straight-shank ramrod, no bolster clean-out screw, and no band springs, instead using split barrel bands tightened with screws. L.G. & Y., along with Colt and Amoskeag, supplied this pattern on two contracts dated July 11 and October 7, 1861, each for 25,000 arms. They delivered all 50,000 from September 1862 to December 1864. This one is dated 1863 on the lockplate and the barrel, though the last digit of the barrel date is tough to make out. It also has the company’s characteristic 1863 lock marking using a large eagle over U.S. and Italic “WINDSOR-Vt” under L.G.&Y.

Interestingly, the bolster and top of the breech show significant shallow pitting that partially obscures the last digit of the barrel date and the proofs, and some burnout to the wood under the hammer. This indicates heavy field use, but even more importantly, use with the powerful and corrosive British high-pressure percussion caps imported by the Confederacy. These had been designed to ensure ignition of various cartridges, but were eventually withdrawn from British service after complaints about fragmentation, etc.

The rest of the metal rates very good, with smooth surface, the barrel showing brown for the most part with some gray along the edges and the lockplate showing the mottled gray and dull silver of faded case color. The lockplate markings are crisp. The bolster eagle was eliminated by the percussion caps. Both sights are in place. The rear sight leaves are there. Nose cap, bands, swivels, and the correct, straight-shank ramrod are present. The wood is good, with nice color, and good fit to the metal. The edges show some slight rounding from handling, but are good. There are minor handling marks overall, more on the right than the left, but only one noticeable divot on the right forestock behind the middle band, a shallower one just below the rear sight, and some semicircular drag lines or pressure marks on the upper middle of the right butt flat. The side flat has a slight chip to the top edge, but shows a faint cartouche. The left butt shows some light scratches. The buttplate has a tight fit, like the other metal. There are a couple of small dings on the top edge of the comb.

The rifle rates good to very good overall, and even better than that for a Confederate used piece. This would make a great addition to a C.S. arms collection, a testimony to their need for arms and resourcefulness in getting them into the field, with a good mid-war date allowing it to be in the service in time for many of the major campaigns.  [sr]  [ph:L]

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