Original Item: Only One Available. This is a scarce and highly desirable original U.S. Model 1855 Rifled Musket manufactured at the legendary Harpers Ferry Armory in 1860, immediately before the outbreak of the American Civil War.

The Model 1855 represented one of the most important advancements in U.S. military arms development before the Civil War. It was the first standard issue U.S. military long arm designed specifically around the new .58 caliber Minié ball system, which dramatically increased effective range and accuracy compared to earlier smoothbore muskets. Combined with its innovative Maynard tape primer ignition system, the Model 1855 was considered one of the most advanced infantry weapons in the world when introduced.

Manufactured at both Springfield Armory and Harpers Ferry Armory, approximately 60,000 Model 1855 Rifled Muskets were produced before the simplified Model 1861 replaced the design. Surviving examples are far scarcer today than later Civil War muskets, particularly because many saw extremely hard wartime service, were altered after the war, or were used for parts. Complete examples retaining the original Maynard tape primer system are especially desirable.

This example was produced in 1860 at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, then located in Virginia and now West Virginia. Harpers Ferry arms hold a special place in American history, as the arsenal was the site of John Brown’s famous 1859 raid and became a strategic location during the opening stages of the Civil War. Large numbers of arms from Harpers Ferry fell into Confederate hands, making surviving examples particularly interesting to collectors.

This musket remains in its original percussion configuration and is one of the few intact Model 1855 Rifled Muskets we have encountered. It displays a wonderful “been there” appearance, showing the unmistakable character of a weapon that saw extensive service during one of the most significant periods in American history. It is also one of the later production examples fitted with the desirable steel patch box with spare nipple compartment inlet into the right side of the butt stock.

The lock plate is clearly marked:

U.S.
HARPERS FERRY

and is dated:

1860

on the lock plate tail.

The Federal Eagle stamped into the Maynard tape primer door remains crisp and attractive. The tape primer door still closes correctly with its original catch intact, and the primer advance pawl remains connected to the lock mechanism. While we have no way to test the feeding of original primer tapes, the mechanism itself remains present and functional. The lock operates correctly, holding securely at half cock and firing from full cock.

The barrel breech area displays extensive evidence of period use, with past powder burn and corrosion that has since been cleaned. The barrel tang also shows evidence of “pinching,” suggesting the breech plug may have been removed at some point during its long service life. The original rear sight was replaced, most likely during the period of use after the original was damaged or lost. The barrel retains the visible “V” proof marking, while the “P” and Eagle Head proofs have worn away from age and handling.

The percussion cone and bolster area show heavy oxidation from use, and the nipple was replaced long ago with an aftermarket example, likely to keep the musket serviceable. These types of period repairs and maintenance are commonly encountered on arms that remained in use for extended periods.

The left side of the stock no longer retains visible inspector cartouches, but there is a faint period name written into the left side of the butt stock. Unfortunately, the writing is too worn to positively identify, leaving an intriguing research opportunity for the next owner.

The significant wear around the breech area is exactly the type of evidence often associated with rifles that saw very heavy wartime use. It is possible that this example may have seen Confederate service, as Confederate forces captured many Model 1855 Rifled Muskets from Harpers Ferry and were known to keep weapons in the field for as long as possible due to limited resources.

The metal surfaces display an attractive aged oxidized patina, with scattered peppering, light pitting, and honest wear consistent with a heavily used Civil War arm. The rifle has been cleaned during its lifetime, and the stock appears to have been refinished more recently.

The bore reflects substantial service use and is heavily worn, with oxidation and fouling present. It now measures approximately .62 caliber at the muzzle, showing the effects of a long working life.

Both sling swivels were removed at some point, along with the swivel mounts from the barrel band and trigger guard. All three barrel bands remain correctly marked with “U,” and the butt plate retains a faint “US” marking.

The musket retains a tulip-head style ramrod beneath the barrel. It does not have the enlarged shank or threaded end of the original pattern, so we believe it is a period replacement.

The one-piece walnut stock has developed a beautiful aged red-brown color from decades of oiling and handling. Areas near the metal fittings, especially around the butt plate, show darker staining from long-term contact with oxidized metal. The stock finish is very well retained from an older refinish. There is some wood loss around the ramrod channel, which now extends open toward the trigger guard due to sections having broken away during the musket’s long life.

Overall, this is a fascinating and rarely encountered Harpers Ferry Model 1855 Rifled Musket manufactured on the eve of the Civil War. With its functional Maynard tape primer mechanism, desirable 1860 Harpers Ferry markings, steel patch box configuration, named stock, and extensive evidence of period service, this is exactly the type of historic survivor that appeals to Civil War collectors.

A wonderful opportunity to acquire an advanced pre-war U.S. military rifle musket with tremendous character, history, and research potential.

Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: 1860
Caliber: Originally .58 Caliber (worn to approximately .62 at muzzle)
Ammunition Type: Minié Ball with Percussion / Maynard Tape Primer System
Barrel Length: 40 Inches
Overall Length: 56 Inches
Action Type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading Single Shot

More on the Springfield Model 1855

Earlier U.S. Military muskets had mostly been smoothbore flintlocks. In the 1840s, the unreliable flintlocks had been replaced by much more reliable and weather resistant percussion cap systems. The smoothbore barrel and inaccurate round ball were also being replaced by rifled barrels and the newly invented Minié ball. This increased the typical effective range of a musket from about fifty yards (46 m) to several hundred yards. The Model 1855 had an effective range of 500 yards (460 m) and was deadly to over 1,000 yards (910 m).

The barrel on the Model 1855 was .58 caliber, which was smaller than previous muskets. The Springfield Model 1816 and all of its derivatives up through the Springfield Model 1842 had been .69 caliber, but tests conducted by the U.S. Army showed that the smaller .58 caliber was more accurate when used with a Minié ball.

The Model 1855 also used the Maynard tape primer, which was an attempt at improving the percussion cap system that had been previously developed. Instead of using individual caps which had to be placed for every shot, the Maynard system used a tape which was automatically fed every time the hammer was cocked, similar to the way a modern child's cap gun works. While the powder and Minié ball still had to be loaded conventionally, the tape system was designed to automate the placing of the percussion cap and therefore speed up the overall rate of fire of the weapon. The Maynard tape system gave the Model 1855 a unique hump under the musket's hammer. The weapon could also be primed in the usual way with standard percussion caps if the tape was unavailable. The Secretary of War at the time Jefferson Davis authorized the adoption of the Maynard system for the Model 1855.

In the field, the Maynard tape primer proved to be unreliable. Tests conducted between 1859 and 1861 found that half of the primers misfired, and also reported that the tape primer springs did not feed well. The greatest problem was the actual tape itself. Despite being advertised as waterproof, the paper strips proved to be susceptible to moisture. An attempt was made to remedy this problem by making the tape primers out of foil, but despite the improvement this brought, the Ordnance Department abandoned the Maynard system and went back to the standard percussion lock in later muskets like the Model 1861. Most Model 1855s were used throughout the Civil War with standard percussion caps.

Approximately 75,000 Model 1855 muskets were produced. The machinery to make the Model 1855s, at Harpers Ferry was captured by the Confederate Army in early 1861. The captured machinery to produce rifle muskets was taken to Richmond Armory, where it formed the backbone of Confederate weapon manufacturing capability. The rifle machinery was taken to Fayetteville Arsenal, North Carolina where it too was put to use for significant arms production throughout the War. As a result of using the original arsenal machinery, the Richmond rifles and the Fayetteville rifles were two of the finest weapons produced by the Confederacy.

The Model 1855 was in production until 1860 and was the standard-issue firearm of the regular army in the pre-Civil War years. The need for large numbers of weapons at the start of the American Civil War saw the Model 1855 simplified by the removal of the Maynard tape primer and a few other minor alterations to make it cheaper and easier to manufacture, thus creating the ubiquitous Model 1861. The Model 1855 was the best arm available at the beginning of the conflict as it took some time for the Model 1861s to be manufactured and actually reach the field. However, less than 80,000 Model 1855s had been manufactured by the start of the war. Some of them were destroyed when the Confederates captured the Harpers Ferry arsenal in April 1861, and several thousand more were in Southern hands. Approximately 10,000 rifles had also been shipped to California, and therefore were useless for the Union war effort.

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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.