Original item: One of a Kind. Over the years, IMA has purchased many collections and groups of antique guns, in which case we need to take all of them, as we did in Nepal. While these collections were generally full of guns that relatively good condition, they also had some that were less complete and unfortunately would take more restoration time than we were able to give them. We kept them in storage, possibly for future products, but have now decided to offer these "As Found" antique firearms to our customers as restoration projects. These are all original and as we received them, except for cleaning the dirt and grime off the exterior.

Please note that these are still real antique guns, and are being sold in "As is" condition at a significant discount from what they would sell at if we were to fully restore them. We will do our best to photograph and describe them and know that our customers will know exactly what they are getting. Some of these, such as this example, look to have possibly been project or parts guns, and are missing a significant amount of parts. These are being sold in "Grade 2" condition, and on these ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

This is a sporterized Grade 2 example of rare Imported Civil War rifle. Usually referred to as the "Brazilian Contract Light Minié Rifle", research has shown that these are more correctly called the "Brazilian Model 1855 Naval Rifle". These were essentially a Belgian made percussion rifle very similar to the British P-1856 two band Enfield rifle, made utilizing the Belgian Minié ball rifled system. These scheduled to be sold to Brazil, however these ended up usurped by Herman Boker, who exported ALL of the almost 6,000 units to New York City to sell in early 1861. The States of New York and Ohio purchased many of these, though we unfortunately cannot find any state markings on this rifle.

These were all made by O.P. Drissen & Cie of Liège, and the (Anchor) D C marking of this firm is seen on virtually all parts of the gun. There is a brass American Spread Eagle escutcheon behind the barrel tang which was a feature of this model. Though most were later removed, this example still retains the escutcheon making it quite rare and even more collectible. The serial number on these were marked on the bayonet mounting lug, and this example is marked with 1954.

Condition Notes:
- Overall condition shows significant oxidation and pitting on the metalwork.
- Barrel has been shortened by 1 Inch. The bore shows faint rifling, with fouling and oxidation.
- Lock is fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full.
- Stock has been sporterized, cut off just past the lower band spring.
- Both sling swivels are present.
- Cleaning rod has been replaced with a wooden dowel.

A very nice relic condition "sporterized" example of the type of imported firearms that were used during the U.S. Civil War. This could be the start of a really great restoration project. Please make sure to look at all the pictures before purchasing, as ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1861
Caliber: .58"
Cartridge Type: Minié Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 31 Inches
Overall Length: 47 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.