.58 caliber. 40" barrel secured by three flat, spring retained barrel bands. NSN. Bright finish, iron furniture, smooth walnut stock. Single shot percussion muzzleloading rifle musket with M1861 pattern three leaf rear sight, Barelycorn combination front sight and socket bayonet lug, sling swivels and a swelled shank tulip head ramrod. Lock marked with a {Spread-Winged Eagle} and US/ WATERTOWN forward of hammer and dated 1864 at tail. Breech with matching 1864 date and the standard V/P/{Eagle Head} barrel proofs. Left barrel flat with a block D.W.T. sub-inspection, the mark of arsenal sub-inspector Daniel W. Tyler. Counterpane with a script DWT cartouche, as well as another small block letter DWT. C.B. Hoard of Watertown, NY received a contract for 50,000 US M1861 Rifle Muskets in late 1861 and a second for 20,000 in late 1863. Between 1863 and 1865 he only managed to deliver some 12,800 guns, placing his arms in the lower half of all Civil War contract rifle musket deliveries. Of the 18 contractors who delivered some 448,314 M1861 pattern arms to the US government only six delivered fewer arms than Hoard, with eleven delivering significantly more. This is one of the scarcer Civil War contract rifle muskets and appears to be completely right in terms of configuration and inspection marks {ANTIQUE}