Very Rare Suhl Contract US Model 1861 Rifle Musket by Christian Funk

American Civil War

.58 caliber. 40" round barrel secured by three flat, spring-retained barrel bands. SN: 19. Tinned finish, iron furniture, European hardwood stock. Single shot percussion muzzleloading rifle musket with correct M1858 pattern three-leaf rear sight, Barleycorn combination front sight and socket bayonet lug, sling swivels and the original matching swelled shank tulip head ramrod. Lock marked with a {Spread-Winged Eagle} forward of the hammer and with US at the front of the lock. Tail of the lock dated 1861 with breech dated 1861 as well. US on buttplate and small U marks for "up" on barrel bands. Assembly numbered 19 on all major components, including inside the lock and hammer neck, under the barrel, under the breech plug, on the barrel bands, on the nose cap, inside the triggerguard bow, under the rear sight base, on the necks of the lock and tang screws and on the swell of the ramrod. Bottom of barrel additionally marked SUHL with additional depressed maker marks. As noted the gun retains correct original 1858 pattern "curved wing" rear sight. It is worth noting that the handful of very high condition examples of these guns that survive in collections today have a tinned finish, suggesting that they were originally delivered that way. This is a wonderful condition example of one of the rarest of Civil War import arms and a gun that is the missing from the majority of even the most advanced Civil War musket collections. Of all the imported arms utilized by the US government during the American Civil War, the "SUHL" Contract Model 1861 Rifle Musket is probably one of the most desirable and most difficult to obtain for a collection. In fact, the authors of Firearms from Europe (2nd Edition) describe the gun as "one of the rarest of all Civil War weapons" and further note that "only a handful are known to exist." The details regarding these handmade Germanic copies of the US Model 1861 Rifle Musket are not particularly clear, but it appears that the guns were produced by Christian Funk of Suhl, which was located in the German state of Thuringia. The guns were most likely imported by William Hahn of New York. According to US Ordnance Document records, Hahn delivered "German Muskets, Springfield Pattern", at prices that ranged from $14.50 to $16.50 each. The deliveries were made in two lots, with 179 being delivered March 7, 1862 and the balance of 302 being delivered on July 15, 1862. Schuyler, Hartley & Graham of New York delivered an additional 400 "Suhl Rifles" and "Suhl Rifle-Muskets" to the US Government between February 17 and March 10 of 1862. However, the pattern of these arms is not noted in the delivery documents. The majority of the rifle-muskets of Germanic origin that were delivered by Schuyler, Hartley & Graham were of the Enfield pattern, making it likely that these 400 guns of "unspecified pattern" were also of the Enfield pattern and not Model 1861 types. This is simply a great example of one of the rarest of Civil War import long arms that is all original and correct, down to the matching numbered ramrod. {ANTIQUE}

From the Lifetime Collection of Robert G. Paulsen