Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Civil War Bridesburg contract Model 1863 Type I .58 caliber percussion rifle musket manufactured by Alfred Jenks & Son and dated 1863. It remains in its original percussion configuration and escaped the postwar conversions that altered many surviving Civil War rifle muskets. The arm shows honest service use, a cleaned bright matte metal patina, visible three groove rifling, and its original tulip head ramrod, though the leaves of the rear sight are missing.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The lock is fitted with the correct beveled S shaped hammer and is dated:

1863

on the lock plate tail. Beneath the hammer is a Federal Eagle over U.S., while the maker marking to the right reads:

U.S.
BRIDESBURG

This indicates manufacture by Alfred Jenks & Son, located in Bridesburg and Philadelphia, PA. This company received a contract for about 100,000 rifled-muskets were made during the Civil War and most delivered to the U.S. Government. While many contractors continued to make the Model 1861 specification up to the end of the war, by 1863, Jenks & Son had updated to the Model 1863 Type I.

The rifle musket has screw retained barrel bands consistent with the Model 1863 Type I configuration. The rear sight base remains present, but the sight leaves are missing. The percussion bolster shows powder burn and localized corrosion from service use, though the Federal eagle on the bolster remains visible.

The lock markings remain fully legible, though somewhat softened by age and past cleaning. The barrel breech markings are considerably more worn. Only a faint trace of the original:

V / P / Eagle's Head

proofs can still be seen on the left barrel facet, while the barrel date has been completely worn away. The left side of the stock retains two faint boxed inspector cartouches. They are too worn to read with confidence.

The lock operates in its present condition, holding properly at half cock and releasing from full cock. The hammer has some lateral wobble. These observations describe only the current mechanical state of the arm and are not an indication that it is safe to load or fire.

The metalwork overall shows evidence of older peppery oxidation that has been cleaned away, leaving a bright matte aged patina. The most significant corrosion is concentrated around the percussion nipple and bolster, where powder and primer residue caused more aggressive surface loss. The bore retains readily visible three groove rifling and is partly bright. It shows evidence of old fouling and oxidation that has been cleaned, together with the expected wear from service use.

The buttplate is correctly stamped:

U.S.

and all three barrel bands are marked:

U

This marking indicates the side of the barrel band that should be "up" when the rifle is lying on its left side. The original ramrod remains present. It has the correct tulip shaped head without an enlarged shank, and the threads at the opposite end are still intact. Both sling swivels are present and move freely.

The one piece American black walnut stock remains in very good service used condition with an attractive polished red brown appearance and visible grain. It shows the expected dents, dings, and handling marks from age and use but no major structural damage or obvious large repair. There is localized wood loss immediately behind the percussion bolster from powder residue erosion. A further missing section is present on the left side of the fore stock near the nose cap.

With its 1863 dated Bridesburg lock, Alfred Jenks & Son manufacture, Federal eagle and U.S. markings, screw retained bands, surviving inspector cartouches, original tulip head ramrod, three groove bore, and intact percussion configuration, this is a particularly representative Civil War contract rifle musket. The missing rear sight leaves, cleaned oxidation, bolster corrosion, hammer wobble, worn barrel proofs, and localized stock losses are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a U.S. Civil War infantry arms, Bridesburg contract, Alfred Jenks & Son, Model 1863 rifle musket, or advanced percussion military firearms collection.

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1863
Maker: Alfred Jenks & Son of Bridesburg, PA
Model: 1863 Rifled Musket
Caliber: .58"
Cartridge Type: Minié Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 40 Inches
Overall Length: 56 Inches
Action type: Side Action Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loaded
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

The Springfield Model 1863 rifled musket is a .58 caliber rifled musket produced by the Springfield Armory between 1863 and 1865. The Model 1863 was a minor improvement over the Springfield Model 1861. As such, it is sometimes classified as just a variant of the Model 1861. The Model 1861, with all of its variants, was the most commonly used longarm in the American Civil War, with over 700,000 manufactured. The Model 1863 also has the distinction of being the last muzzle-loading longarm produced by the Springfield Armory.

The Model 1863 was produced in two variants. The Type I eliminated the band springs and replaced the flat barrel bands with oval clamping bands. It also featured a new ramrod, a case-hardened lock, a new hammer, and a redesigned bolster (percussion chamber). Several of these modifications were based upon Colt's contract model 1861, known as the "Colt special". 273,265 Type I variants were manufactured in 1863.

The Type II is sometimes referred to as the Model 1864, but is more commonly referred to as just a variant of the Model 1863. This version re-introduced band springs, replaced the clamping bands with solid oval bands, and replaced the three leaf rear sight with single leaf sight. A total of 255,040 of these were manufactured from 1864 to 1865.

By the end of the Civil War, muzzle-loading rifles and muskets were considered obsolete. In the years following the Civil War, many Model 1863 muskets were converted into breech-loading "Trapdoor Springfields". The breech-loading weapons increased the rate of fire from 3 to 4 rounds per minute to 8 to 10 rounds per minute. The Model 1863 could be converted to breech-loading for about $5, at a time when a new rifle would cost about $20. The conversion of Model 1863 rifles therefore represented a significant cost savings to the U.S. military.

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.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.