Original Item: Only One Available. Just purchased at a recent military auction! This is a very nice U.S. Civil War era heavy barreled percussion target rifle, typical of those used by early Yankee / Union sharpshooters during the conflict. The design is somewhat reminiscent of the "Pennsylvania" or "Kentucky" rifles of the time, but it is definitely a bit less curved and more robust in shape. It features a 26 1/4 inch long octagonal barrel with 6 groove rifling and a bore of .41", one of the typical sizes in use at the time. Overall length is 42 1/2" and the barrel is VERY heavy for accurate shooting, much like "bench rest" rifles of the day, and in this case the barrel walls are thicker than the bore itself.

This very interesting example was made by well-known under hammer maker David Hall Hilliard of Cornish, New Hampshire circa 1860. The barrel is turned down at the muzzle for a bullet starter, which is no longer present. This would be used to add rifling to the bullet before entering the bore, which prevented wear to the muzzle of the barrel. It is marked correctly on the top of the barrel with Hilliard's usual address marking:-

D.H. HILLIARD
CORNISH
N.H.

It is also marked with CAST STEEL 1956 on the rear left facet, possibly giving the serial number of the rifle. It does not have any other external markings, and the under hammer lock is fitted inside of the stock, so we assume it was made by Hilliard himself. It is fully functional, and does not appear to have any type of half cock position. While it does not seem to be a "set trigger" as we normally see, it is almost a hair trigger and requires a very light pull before the lock fires. We can see on the top of the barrel that it at one time had some type of sight fitted on the middle of the barrel, but it now has a long range sight on the rear of the barrel, which has an adjustment underneath that fits into ridges on the back of the wrist. It does look to be a bit worn at present, with the bottom showing some splintering of the metal where it touches the back of the wrist.

The rifle is in overall very good condition, with wear commensurate with age and service.  The stock looks to be walnut, and has a lovely color, and also shows a good amount of "curl" to the grain, especially in the butt stock area. There is a patch box on the right hand side, which is currently empty, and the left side of the stock has a lovely cheek piece with an oval ornament. We checked the bore, and it is in excellent condition, showing clear lands and grooves and a bright finish, with little to no wear evident. It was definitely well cared for during its service life. There is brass tipped ramrod under the barrel, which is probably a period replacement.

A lovely example of a New Hampshire under hammer percussion target rifle but a known maker, ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1860
Caliber: approx .41" six groove rifling
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 26 1/4 Inches
Overall Length: 42 1/2 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.

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.