.58 caliber. 33" barrel secured by two flat, spring retained bands. NSN. Oxidized metal, brass furniture, walnut stock. Single shot percussion muzzleloading rifle with leaf rear sight, Barleycorn front sight, sling swivels on the upper band and triggeguard and a replacement tulip head ramrod. Lock with standard Fayetteville markings including a "{Spread Winged Eagle}/C.S.A." , the word "FAYETTEVILLE" and dated "1864" at the tail. Left angled breech flat with weak, small "V/P/{Eagle Head}" proofs and no visible breech date. Buttplate tang marked "CSA". No cartouche present. Rear sight is an incorrect replacement that appears to be a Whitney mid-range leaf sight. Ramrod is a modern replacement. {ANTIQUE}

The Fayetteville Arsenal in North Carolina produced a simplified version of the US Model 1855 Rifle on machinery captured from the Harpers Ferry Arsenal in April of 1861. The earliest guns used completed and unfinished parts taken from the arsenal that had not been assembled into completed guns and then Fayetteville began to make their own parts, using the machinery at hand. The rifles evolved over time with four distinct "types" being identified by collectors. This late war production rifle is of the Type IV classification, without a saber bayonet lug on the barrel and intended to accept a socket bayonet. Somewhere between 8,600 and 8,900 Fayetteville Rifles of all types were made at the arsenal between late 1861 and March of 1865, when General Sherman's army put the arsenal out of business. 

Fair to Good. Bore dark, heavily oxidized and appearing smooth with no visible rifling and scattered pitting. Metal moderately to heavily oxidized with even light pinpricking over most of the barrel in addition to some areas of more moderate pitting on the barrel and on the lock. Lock markings remain fully legible, barrel markings weaker with not date visible. No markings in wood. Brass with a rich, uncleaned patina. Mechanically functional lock. Wood with moderate wear, some rounding to the edges and a nominally 2.25" section of wood repaired between the tang and the hammer. Otherwise the wood shows numerous bumps, dings and mars.