Bridesburg Marked Alfred Jenks & Co Contract US Model 1861 Rifle Musket

American Civil War

.58 caliber. 40" barrel. NSN. Bright finish, steel furniture, walnut stock with three flat, spring retained barrel bands. Single shot percussion muzzleloading military rifle musket with M1861 pattern three leaf rear sight, Barleycorn combination front sight and socket bayonet lug, sling swivels and a full-length swelled shank tulip head ramrod. Lock marked with a {Spread-Winged Eagle} and U.S./BRIDESBURG forward of the hammer and dated 1863 at the tail. Breech with weak 1863 date and standard V/P/{Eagle Head} inspection marks. Counterpane with a pair of weak script cartouches, the forward one not being fully legible and the rear being the JTC of John T Cleveland. Another inspection mark is present in the belly of the stock, forward of the triggerguard. Bridesburg marked rifle muskets were primarily produced by Alfred Jenks & Co of Bridesburg and Philadelphia, PA, although Jenks also delivered component parts to other contractors and Bridesburg marked locks are found on guns made by James T Hodge as well. Jenks received multiple rifle musket contracts, primarily for the M1861 pattern guns like this one. Jenks was the most successful of M1861 contractors, delivering more than 92,000 rifle muskets between 1862 and 1865. Some 20,000 guns more than his next closest competitor, the Providence Tool Company, who delivered 70,000 guns. {ANTIQUE}

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Good. Bore good, moderately oxidized with some pitting and decent rifling. Metal moderately oxidized but showing indications of having been cleaned at some point in time, with scattered patches of age discoloration, minor surface roughness and some scattered light pitting. Marks in metal remain relatively clear, weaker in wood. Mechanically functional lock. Wood lightly sanded with some rounding to the edges. Wood with scattered bumps, dings and mars and a small grain crack behind the lock mortise. The initials HS are carved into the counterpane.

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Mr. Tim Prince

Senior Consulting Specialist, Arms, Armor & Militaria

timprince@freemansauction.com 312 280 1212

Tim Prince has more than 30-years of experience in the field of antique and collectible arms and is a nationally recognized expert in the area of Civil War small arms. A long-time researcher and author, Tim has been a contributing author to two major books about Civil War firearms, including The English Connection: Arms, Material and Support Furnished to the Confederate States of America by Great Britain (2014) and Confederate Shotguns and Southern Agent Marked Shotguns (2017). He was also a major contributor to the recently updated Blue Book of Antique American Firearms & Values – 2nd Edition (2019) as well as the 2010 updates to the Civil War Collector's Price Guide - 12th edition. Over the last decade Tim has authored more than 50 articles on 19th century collectible and military arms, which have been published in such varied publications as Civil War News, North-South Trader, and Military Antique Collector. Since 2016 has appeared as a featured appraiser in the field of Arms & Militaria on the popular PBS television series Antiques Roadshow. He is a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors and currently serves on the board of directors of that organization. He is also a member of and formerly served on the board of directors of the Society of American Bayonet Collectors. Tim is a life member of the Ohio Valley Military Society, the Tennessee Military Collectors Association, the Alabama Military Collectors Association, is a member of the Company of Military Historians and is a member of numerous other colleting groups and societies. He is the owner of College Hill Arsenal, a web based antique and collectible arms retail web site, specializing in the American Civil War and related military items. Tim has engaged in the business of buying, selling, researching, and appraising antique and collectible arms and associated military items for some three decades. Since 2016 he has also served as a senior Consulting Specialist in the field of Arms, Armor & Militaria for Cowan’s Auctions, a Freeman's Company.

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Bridesburg Marked Alfred Jenks & Co Contract US Model 1861 Rifle Musket

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