HARPERS FERRY M1841 “MISSISSIPPI” RIFLE MADE IN EARLY 1850

HARPERS FERRY M1841 “MISSISSIPPI” RIFLE MADE IN EARLY 1850

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$4,750.00

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Item Code: 2206-341

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This is a very attractive Harpers Ferry made US M1841 rifle, best known as the “Mississippi Rifle” from its fabled use in Mexican War by a volunteer regiment from that state. Designing a new percussion rifle with interchangeable parts had been assigned to Master Armorer Benjamin Moor at Harpers Ferry in 1839. Some prototypes seem to have been made in 1840, and 8 Model rifles were made in 1841. A production model was made in 1845, but full-scale production did not begin until 1846. Production at Harpers Ferry ended in 1855, with a total manufactured there of 25,207 and some 31,600 additional M1841s made by various contractors and commercial entities (Moller.)

This rates very good for condition, complete and all original, with bands, springs, swivels and original brass-tipped ramrod in place, and nice patina to the smooth metal which has clear markings and a good wood-to-metal fit with the wood having handling marks and dings, but showing good color and edges, and a clear inspection stamp on the left side flat. The mechanics are good, with a strong spring and just a slight catch at half-cock. The bore is clean, semi-bright, showing good rifling with just some oxidation in the grooves. The V-notch fixed rear sight is in place, as is the front, blade sight.

The Model 1841 Rifle was subject to a myriad of alterations and modifications using different sights and ways of fitting it for a bayonet, socket and sword patterns, producing alterations that are a collecting field of their own. This one is unusual in showing only an alteration of the caliber from the original .54 caliber to the later standard infantry .58 caliber, retaining seven-groove rifling. When the only alteration, the .58 caliber is sometimes used as a selling point as a more likely Confederate-used rifle, where other modifications were dispensed with by necessity, but those studying the pattern point to the relatively small number of M1841 rifles in .58 caliber that were in southern arsenals before the war and the ready availability of .54 caliber ammunition.

This rifle is also interesting in having an 1849-dated lockplate and 1850-dated barrel, indicating not an alteration or put-together gun, but a build-date of early 1850 since barrels typically had a higher failure rate than locks, making the appearance of a consecutive date on the barrel perfectly acceptable. Production figures for Harpers Ferry M1841s as given in Moller are fiscal year totals, with a total for fiscal year 1850, running from July 1, 1849 to June 30, 1850, of 2,676 rifles. How many 1849-dated locks were available at the middle of this, at the beginning of calendar year 1850, for mounting on new barrels that passed proof is unclear, but it cannot have been many.

As is correct for a Harpers Ferry made M1841, the brass buttplate is unmarked. The underside of the buttstock shows a stamped “35” just forward of the buttplate, a number certainly applied by a state or militia unit to be visible when the rifle was standing upright in a rack. The patchbox correctly shows the three router head marks, each with small centering hole. The patchbox was intended to hold a gun tool, ball screw and wiper and spare cone. As usual, the other elements are missing. The spare cone is in place, screwed into the wood. We do not see an inspection stamp inside, but it might have been worn or lightly applied. There is a shallow, short, vertical gouge under the neck of the hinge plate of the patchbox. The lock apron is excellent, showing sharp edges with just light handling dings to the border. The sideflat shows minor dings and handling marks, and a hairline from the forward lock screw to the breech from overtightening, but likewise has good edges and shows a very clear “JLR” inspector’s stamp. Daum and Pate suggest this was John L. Rowe, a foreman in the rifle manufactory, but a well-respected dealer and arms researcher points instead to John L. Reseler as an inspector from 1850-55. The forestock shows good edges as well, showing a little darker with some shallow dings from handling between the lower and upper band.

The brass mounts have a pleasing mellow, patina. The lock plate shows as a muted silver gray, smooth metal with some very tiny darker stains, and marked vertically to rear of the hammer: HARPERS / FERRY / 1849, and has a crisp Harpers Ferry style eagle over a small US forward of the hammer. The hammer shows a bit darker, with some caramel tones. The 1850 date on the breechplug tang is very good. The barrel proofs on the left breach are clear- “V/P/[eagle’s head]” with an “AW/P” just forward, the inspection mark of Alexander Wentzel, Sr., listed by Daum and Pate as at Harpers Ferry 1841-49, with this gun giving proof he was there until some point in 1850 at least. The bolster and barrel are both smooth metal. A very small bit of wear to the barrel date and inspector initials but not the finish at that point suggest it may have been carefully cleaned at some point and the color reapplied. Please see our photos.

The US Model 1841 is a collecting category of its own with lots of period modifications. This one is unusual in having so few and being closer to its original, production form.  [sr] [ph:L]

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