Arms, Armor and Militaria

.58 caliber. 40.5" barrel. NSN. Bright finish, iron furniture, brass side nail cups and triggerguard, pewter nose cap, walnut stock. Single shot percussion muzzleloading rifle musket made from repurposed parts with a Whitney long range rear sight, combination front sight and socket bayonet lug, sling swivels on the upper barrel band and triggerguard bow and a straight shank Whiteny ramrod with brass cone tip. Lock marked E. WHITNEY in a single line. Breech with upside down W.C.K. inspection mark forward of the bolster on the obverse and dated 1858 on the top. V/P/{Eagle Head} inspection marks on the left angled breech flat. Eli Whitney Jr. had a reputation for producing what he called "Good & Serviceable" arms that were not interchangeable but generally followed the pattern of US Ordnance Department long arms, like the Model 1841 "Mississippi" Rifle but that would not pass the rigorous inspections and gauging that Ordnance Department arms were subject to. When Robbins & Lawrence went out of business Whitney acquire a large supply of finished and unfinished parts at the auction of their assets, including stocks, barrel bands, furniture, etc. from their contract to produce British Pattern 1853 Type II Enfield Rifle Muskets for the British during the Crimean War. He used these parts to create the basis for his series of "Enfield" partner arms. This example uses the stock, barrel bands and band springs from those Robbins & Lawrence produced Enfields, in combination with a repurposed Harpers Ferry made and 1858 dated US Model 1855 barrel and other Whitney made parts like the rear sight, lock and ramrod. The original Harpers Ferry rear sight dovetail has been filled and Whitney's sight installed. The barrel was one of the iron ones, reinspected by W.C. Kirby after Harpers Ferry transitioned to steel barrels. The barrel is slightly overlong, at 40.5" and was probably part of the supply of US M1855 parts (both condemned and unfinished) that Whitney acquired from Harpers Ferry. Most of those parts were used to make his functional tape primer Whitney M1855 Rifle Muskets and his "High Hump" Rifle Muskets. It is estimated that Whiteny produced about 3,300 of his "Long" Enfields and this is a wonderful example of how he produced non-regulation, non-armory pattern firearms from available parts that had the appearance of standard issue arms. Whitney sold these long Enfields to both northern and southern buyers in the months leading up to the Civil War and some of these arms that were in a Maryland arsenal in Baltimore were liberated by Pro-Southern forces and then used agains the Union during the war. A very cool and interesting rifle musket that tells a fascinating story. {ANTIQUE}