.58 caliber. 33" barrel. NSN. Browned and color casehardened finish, brass furniture, walnut stock. Single shot muzzleloading percussion rifle modified to accept a US M1835 .69 socket bayonet, with the barrel turned down at the muzzle for  2.75" and a socket bayonet lug added under the barrel 1" from the muzzle.

Several Northern contractors did alterations of this style during the early days of the American Civil War, including Leman (PA), Grosz (NY) and the "New Jersey" alterations. As turning down the barrel removed the original front sight, various methods to replace the sight were used. Leman applied a new "shark fin" style sight blade to the barrel between the upper band and the area turned down. Grosz applied a small brass blade in the same location as the Leman sight, which resembled the original Mississippi Rifle sight. The "New Jersey" alterations relied upon the use of imported Bavarian socket bayonets that had a front sight mortised into the bayonet socket, requiring the bayonet to be fixed in order to have a front sight.

This example has a brass sight blade added to the unaltered upper barrel band of the of the rifle, a system not used by any Federal contractor that this cataloger is aware of. This seems to be the Confederate modification to the gun, as the gun is clearly marked with a "Q" Confederate inspection mark forward of the triggerguard, indicating the rifle went through the Confederate "C&R" (cleaned and repaired) system at the Richmond Artillery Workshop. The rifle is otherwise a straight Whitney contract US M1841 Rifle with a standard Whitney marked lock and matching 1852 dates on the lock and breech plug tang. The barrel is marked US/JCB/VP at the breech with the JCB being the mark of US arsenal sub-inspector J.C. Bragg. The left breech flat is marked STEEL, typical of Whitney produced rifles starting sometime in 1850 or so. No cartouches are visible on the counterpane. The buttplate is rack marked K/30, in a style most associated with Grosz altered Mississippi Rifles. The matching parts from the same contractor throughout the rifle suggests Grosz as the firm who reamed the bore up to .58 caliber, turned down the muzzle and added the bayonet lug. Leman altered rifles are almost always a mix of parts from various makers including Tryon and Harpers Ferry, and were typically marked with an alphanumeric reassembly mark on the tang of the buttplate, on the left barrel flat below the stock line, in the lock and sometimes in the patchbox. No such marks are present, ruling out Leman as the source of the original alteration. However, the bottom of the barrel is marked with the Roman numeral reassembly number XXXVII and the matching mark is found inside the lower portion of the upper barrel band, which was removed from the gun to have the new front sight blade installed. This type of reassembly mark is often associated with Confederate produced and repaired arms. Taken in context with the "Q" C&R mark, the CS modification was the addition of this front sight.

The rifle retains the original fixed rear sight, both sling swivels and includes a correct pattern all steel ramrod cupped for use with elongated ball ammunition. This pattern of ramrod was often added to Mississippi Rifles upgraded to .58 caliber, replacing the brass tipped trumpet shaped rod associated with the rifles when they were using round ball ammunition. A nice example of a Confederate repaired and modified Mississippi Rifle that was originally modified for use by the State of New York at the beginning of the Civil War.

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Civil War, Firearms, Rifles, Confederate]

Good to Very Good. Bore very good, partly bright with scattered oxidation and some roughness and good three-groove rifling. Metal with some traces of brown finish that shows moderate amounts of fading and loss and somewhat stronger brown under the barrel. Some small areas of added finish and chemical toning are present on the barrel as well. Lock with a muted and mottled gray patina. Markings in metal remain mostly clear and crisp throughout. Lock mechanically functional. Stock with some wear from use with some rounding to the edges, scattered bumps, dings and mars and no visible cartouches, but a clear "Q" forward the triggerguard.