Confederate Rebuilt L.G.&Y. Contract US Special Model 1861 Rifle Musket Marked "Z"

American Civil War

.58 caliber. 40" barrel secured by three rounded clamping bands. NSN. Bright finish, steel furniture, full-length walnut musket stock. Single shot percussion muzzleloading military rifle musket with M1861 pattern 3-leaf rear sight, Barleycorn combination front sight and socket bayonet lug, sling swivels and a straight-shank tulip head ramrod. Lock marked in three lines forward of the hammer: U.S./L.G.&Y./WINDSOR, VT. and dated 1864 at the tail. Barrel appears to be from a Colt M1861 Special Model Rifle Musket and is marked STEEL on the left flat with the usual V/P/{Eagle Head} inspection mark on the left angled flat and is dated 1863 on top of the breech. No cartouches are present on the stock flat. However, the Confederate rebuild inspection mark Z is stamped in the wood of the stock belly, forward of the triggerguard. This indicates that the gun was captured at some point and went through the Confederate C&R "clean & repair" program, which ranged from a simple cleaning and reissuing of the gun to a complete rebuild or even stripping it for parts to build other guns. The mismatched Colt barrel on what appears to be an otherwise L.G.&Y. gun is a perfect example of the work done in Richmond to keep small arms in the pipeline to the Confederate troops in the field. {ANTIQUE}

This lot is located in Cincinnati.