Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Civil War Springfield Model 1861 contract rifle musket manufactured by Parker Snow & Co. of Meriden, Connecticut. It remains in its original muzzle loading percussion configuration and features an 1864 dated lock, clear PARKERS' SNOW & CO. / MERIDEN, CONN. markings with Federal eagle, three U marked barrel bands, U.S. marked buttplate, and its original three groove rifling.

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 Model 1861 rifle musket was one of the principal infantry arms of the American Civil War. The enormous wartime demand for Model 1861 rifle muskets during the Civil War required the U.S. government to rely heavily on private contractors in addition to Springfield Armory production. One of these was Parkers' Snow & Co. of Meriden Connecticut, who would produce parts for many other contractors, in addition to manufacturing 15,000 muskets on their own. As with most contractors they did not change to the model 1863 specifications, delivering Model 1861 Muskets throughout their contracts.

Prior to the war, Charles Parker and Snow had merged their operations to become the Meriden Machine Company. The company had both a machine shop and a foundry where they produced train wheels, steam engines, printing presses, and piano stools. During the early part of the Civil War, Parker Snow & Company had functioned in the role of supplier for various components, such as trigger guards and locks, for the Model 1861 which it sold to other contractors. As the war progressed, their foothold on the Model 1861 expanded and so did their confidence. On Sept 28, 1863 Parker Snow took things a step further and acquired its own government contract for 15,000 muskets. Having an excellent machine shop, skilled workmen, and prior experience manufacturing components for the Model 1861, there is little doubt these factors helped the company fulfill 100% of its contract with all 15,000 units delivered to the US government by November, 1864. See The Rifled Musket by Claud E. Fuller, pages 194-95.

This example remains in its original percussion muzzle loading configuration rather than having been altered to one of the later postwar breech loading systems.

The lock plate is dated:

1864

at the tail and is clearly marked:

PARKERS' SNOW & CO.
MERIDEN, CONN.

to the right of a Federal Eagle motif over U.S.. The barrel date is no longer legible, but the left facet of the barrel nocks form retains the expected proof markings:

V
P
Eagle Head

The left side of the stock bears two "boxed" script JB cartouches, a known marking on Parker Snow Muskets that has not been definitively identified. It is thought to indicate inspector James Barrett or possibly James Boyd.

All three barrel bands retain their U markings, and the buttplate tang is crisply stamped:

U.S.

The metalwork overall has a bright polished steel appearance with areas of old peppery oxidation that have subsequently been cleaned. No major areas of heavy rusting are evident from the supplied inspection.

The percussion bolster remains relatively well shaped, showing light oxidation to the exterior, however the cleanout screw is seized, and the slot on top has been deformed from past attempts to remove it. The percussion cone, or nipple, is threaded solidly into the bolster, and shows light oxidation to the exterior. The lock is functional, but will release at both half and full cock when operated by hand. The bore retains clear three groove rifling, which shows some light pitting towards the muzzle, but is still mostly crisp over the rest of the length. There is some light surface oxidation, but it presents very well.

The American black walnut stock is in very good overall condition and displays an attractive reddish brown color with visible grain. It shows the expected dents, dings, handling marks, and other wear from age and military use but no major structural cracks or repairs were observed. The stock geometry is still relatively sharp, with the bevels clearly defined. There is some damage from rust next to the barrel bands.

The rifle retains a rear sight, however it has been fitted with a model 1863 "Two Leaf" style, which has a hole for the 300 yard range, while the base is clearly for the three leaf style. The ramrod is the correct tulip type with an enlarged shank, and the threads on the end are still intact.

With its 1864 dated Parker Snow lock, PARKERS' SNOW & CO. / MERIDEN, CONN., Federal eagle, and JB markings, original percussion configuration, three U marked barrel bands, U.S. buttplate, clear three groove rifling, and attractive walnut stock, this is a particularly appealing Civil War contract Model 1861 rifle musket. The worn barrel date, cleaned oxidation, rust within the bolster cleanout area, and replaced rear sight leaf are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a U.S. Civil War infantry arms, Model 1861 rifle musket, Parker Snow contractor, or advanced Federal long arms collection.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1864
Caliber: .58"
Maker: Parkers' Snow & Co.
Model: 1861 Springfield Rifled Musket
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 1861 was a Minié-type rifled musket shoulder-arm used by the United States Army and Marine Corps during the American Civil War. Commonly referred to as the "Springfield" (after its original place of production, Springfield, Massachusetts), it was the most widely used U.S. Army weapon during the Civil War, favored for its range, accuracy, and reliability.

The barrel was 40 inches long, firing a .58 caliber Minié ball, and the total weight was approximately 9 pounds. The Springfield had an effective range of 200 to 300 yards, and used percussion caps to fire (rather than the flintlocks of the 18th century, the last U.S. flintlock musket was the Model 1840). Trained troops were able to fire at a rate of three aimed shots per minute while maintaining accuracy up to 500 yards, though firing distances in the war were often much shorter. The most notable difference between the Model 1861 and the earlier Model 1855 was the elimination of the Maynard tape primer for the Model 1861 (the Maynard primer, a self-feeding primer system, was unreliable in damp weather, and the priming mechanism was expensive and time-consuming to produce). Further, unlike the Model 1855, the Model 1861 was never produced in a two-banded "short rifle" configuration.

The Springfield was aimed using flip-up leaf sights. The sight had two leaves, one for 300 yards and the other for 500 yards, and with both leaves down, the sight was set for a range of 100 yards. By contrast, the British Pattern 1853 Enfield, favored by the Confederates, utilized a ladder-sight system with 100 yard increments, using steps from 100 to 400 yards and a flip up ladder for ranges beyond 500 yards. While the Enfield's sights did allow finer range settings, the Springfield's simple leaves were more rugged and were less expensive to produce. The Enfield's sights extended to 900 yards (and further, on later models), compared to the 500 yard maximum range of the Springfield's sights. Realistically, though, hitting anything beyond 600 yards with either weapon was mostly a matter of luck. While the sight designs were very different, the two weapons were otherwise very similar, and had very similar effective ranges.

The Model 1861 was relatively scarce in the early years of the Civil War (many troops were still using Model 1842 smoothbored muskets and Model 1816/1822 muskets converted to percussion cap primers, both in .69 caliber). It is unlikely that any of these were available for use in the First Battle of Bull Run. However, over time, more and more regiments began receiving Model 1861 rifled muskets, though this upgrade appeared somewhat quicker in the Eastern Theater of Operations. Over 1,000,000 Model 1861 rifles were produced, with the Springfield Armory increasing its production during the war by contracting out to twenty other firms in the Union. The number of Model 1861 muskets produced by the Springfield Armory was 265,129 between January 1, 1861 and December 31, 1863. According to United States Muskets, Rifles and Carbines by Arcadi Gluckman Colonel Infantry, United States Army, published 1949.

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.