Composite Amoskeag Contract US Special Model 1861 Rifle Musket

American Civil War

.58 caliber. 40" round barrel retained by three rounded clamping bands. NSN. Bright finish, iron furniture, smooth walnut stock. Single shot percussion muzzleloading rifle musket with M1861 pattern three leaf rear sight, Barleycorn combination front sight and socket bayonet lug, sling swivels and a straight shank, tulip head ramrod. Lock marked U. {Spread-Winged Eagle} S./AMOSKEAG MFG Co / MANCHESTER, N.H. in three lines forward of the hammer and dated 1864 horizontally at the tail of the lock. Bolster with {Spread-Winged Eagle} but the expected A.M.C. mark on right barrel flat in front of the bolster does not appear to be present. Breech with matching date on top and standard V/P/{Eagle Head} proofs on left angled flat. Left barrel flat and breech plug tang with H sub-inspection mark. Counterpane with a single script JHL cartouche, the mark of arsenal sub-inspector John H Lord. Buttplate without the expected asterisk between the U and S marks. Only 27,001 Special Model 1861 rifle muskets were produced by Amoskeag versus 50,020 by LG&Y and 100,005 by Colt. Thus only 15% of all Special Model 1861s were made by Amoskeag. However this example appears to be composite with an Amoskeag lock placed in a gun that based upon the inspection marks was otherwise built by Colt. {ANTIQUE}

From the Lifetime Collection of Robert G. Paulsen

This lot is located in Cincinnati.