Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Civil War Model 1861 contract rifle musket manufactured by the Savage Revolving Fire Arms Company of Middletown, Connecticut, with an 1864 dated lock. It remains in its original muzzle-loading percussion configuration and displays an attractive, honestly service used appearance with clear maker markings, correct military fittings, strong three-groove rifling, and period-style personalization carved into the stock.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. It is sold as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or evaluated by a professional gunsmith. The mechanical and bore observations below describe only its present condition and do not establish that it is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

During the Civil War, demand for the Model 1861 rifle musket exceeded the production capacity of the Springfield Armory. The U.S. government therefore awarded contracts to more than twenty private manufacturers. Savage Revolving Fire Arms Company received its first contract for 25,000 Model 1861 rifle muskets on September 9, 1862, followed by a second contract for 12,000 on February 25, 1864. The company ultimately delivered approximately 25,500 Model 1861 rifle muskets between 1862 and 1864.

Savage produced Model 1861 pattern rifle muskets for the government during the Civil War. Contractor-made examples continued to follow the Model 1861 configuration even after revised Model 1863 features had entered production at Springfield, which accounts for surviving Model 1861 pattern arms bearing 1864 dates.

This example remains in its original muzzle-loading percussion configuration and was not later altered into a metallic cartridge breechloader. Many Civil War rifle muskets were modified after the war through several conversion systems, but those conversions should not be confused with the purpose-built Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor rifle.

The lock plate is marked forward of the hammer with a spread-winged Federal eagle above:

U.S.

Immediately forward is the two-line manufacturer marking:

SAVAGE R. F. A. Co.
MIDDLETOWN, Ct.

The lock plate tail is dated:

1864

The lock markings remain clear. The plate is in very good condition for its age, showing staining, light peppering, and a matured gray surface.

The barrel breech, or nocks form, retains clear proof and inspection markings:

V / P / Eagle’s Head

The barrel date on the upper breech has been completely worn away.

The left side of the barrel breech is additionally stamped:

L.E.M.

This appears to be a civilian sub-inspector’s mark encountered on other Savage manufactured contract muskets, though the individual inspector has not been identified in the supplied information.

A faint inspection cartouche remains on the stock opposite the lock, but it is no longer legible.

The butt plate is marked:

U.S.

All three barrel bands retain their correct U inspection stamps.

The metalwork has an overall light gray polished patina. Areas of earlier peppered oxidation appear to have been cleaned over the years, leaving a smooth, matured surface.

More substantial powder-related oxidation is present around the percussion nipple and bolster and extends onto the upper barrel. Past pitting is concentrated in this area and is consistent with relatively heavy firing and corrosive percussion residue.

The percussion nipple appears original and shows exterior oxidation. The squared lower portion has become rounded and less sharply defined through age, wear, and corrosion.

The bolster cleanout screw is frozen and should not be forced.

The bore is in very good visual condition and retains clear three-groove rifling with crisp land edges. Past fouling and oxidation are present, together with a visible ring near the muzzle.

The lock operates correctly during careful manual inspection, holding securely at half cock and releasing from full cock. The musket has not been test fired or professionally evaluated.

The rifle musket retains the correct three-leaf rear sight. The 100-yard and 300-yard leaves are joined, while the 500-yard leaf is a separate piece.

Both sling swivels remain present and move freely.

The ramrod has the correct enlarged shank and retains threading on the narrow end.

The walnut stock remains in very good service used condition and has developed a dark red brown color. It shows expected dents, dings, compressed areas, scratches, and handling wear from military service and later storage.

No major structural cracks are visible. A small crack extends from the lower lock screw toward the breech, a commonly encountered area of stress on these rifle muskets.

The stock has also been personalized with carved stars on both sides of the buttstock. These carvings were filled with red paint.

The initials:

MMC

were added to the left side in a similar carved and red-painted style. The identity of the individual represented by these initials is unknown.

The stock geometry and bevels are somewhat softened, suggesting repeated cleaning and possibly sanding at some point in its history. The surviving inspection cartouche is correspondingly faint.

With its clear Savage Middletown lock marking, 1864 date, original percussion configuration, visible U.S. proofs and inspection marks, correct three-leaf sight, complete sling swivels and ramrod, strong three-groove bore, and distinctive red-painted stock personalization, this is an appealing, honestly used Civil War contract rifle musket. The worn barrel date, cleaned metal, bolster pitting, oxidized nipple, frozen cleanout screw, bore fouling and muzzle ring, stock crack, softened contours, dents, and carved initials and stars are fully disclosed. It would display particularly well in a U.S. Civil War infantry, Savage contract arms, Model 1861 rifle musket, percussion military firearm, or advanced antique long gun collection.

Specifications :-

Year of Manufacture: 1864
Maker: Savage Revolving Firearms Co.
Model: 1861 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 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.