Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Civil War Springfield Model 1861 contract rifle musket manufactured by Trenton Locomotive and Machine Company of Trenton, New Jersey, with an 1863 dated lock and barrel. It remains in its original muzzle-loading percussion configuration and retains its three U marked barrel bands, U.S. marked buttplate, correct tulip head ramrod, visible three groove rifling, N.J. surcharge, and clear U.S. / TRENTON lock markings.

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 Springfield Rifle cost $20 each at the Springfield Armory, where they were officially made. Overwhelmed by the demand, the armory opened its weapons patterns up to twenty private contractors, including James T. Hodge & Addison M. Burt, who utilized the machinery of the Trenton Locomotive and Machine Company, Trenton, New Jersey. The pair also subcontracted for numerous components including locks and barrels. The Trenton contract was received on December 26 1861 for 50,000 rifles, 25,000 secured by each partner.

Initial deliveries on Burt’s contract commenced on March 26, 1863, and totaled only 11,495 muskets when closed on December 30, 1864. The deliveries on Hodge’s contract commenced May 14, 1863, and totaled 10,500 muskets when completed on December 17, 1864. This combined to a total of 21,995, meaning their combined production was substantially smaller than that of some of the larger contractors, making surviving Trenton marked examples particularly interesting to Civil War arms collectors. As with most contractors during the war, they produced the Model 1861 throughout the contract, and did not update their tooling to the Model 1863.

This example is dated:

1863

on the tail of the lock plate. The forward portion of the lock is marked with the Federal eagle and:

U.S.
TRENTON

The lock plate shows light staining and evidence of past cleaning, but the markings remain crisp and readily legible.

The top of the barrel breech is also faintly dated:

1863

The left barrel flat retains the standard proof and inspection marks:

V
P
Eagle Head

The barrel is additionally marked:

N.J.

indicating New Jersey state ownership or surcharge. An oval inspection cartouche remains visible on the left side of the stock near the lock screws, though the inspector’s initials are no longer legible.

The metalwork remains in very good condition overall. The original bright finish has mellowed to a light gray matte patina with scattered staining and light oxidation peppering. There is no major rust or deep pitting visible.

Some powder residue related oxidation is present around the percussion bolster and nipple cone, which is expected on a muzzle-loading percussion arm that saw use. The nipple retains its form well, and the bolster cleanout screw remains in very good condition and can still be unscrewed. The lock functions correctly in its present condition and holds securely at half cock.

The rifle musket retains the correct three leaf rear sight graduated for:

100 / 300 / 500 yards

The leaves still move freely. The barleycorn front sight remains intact.

The bore is in very good condition for a Civil War era percussion rifle musket. It is mostly bright and retains clear lands and grooves, with the original three groove rifling readily visible. There is light evidence of old fouling and oxidation, leaving portions of the bore slightly rough, but no major obstruction or severe corrosion was observed.

The one piece walnut stock has developed an attractive red brown color and shows expected wear from age and service. Several small pieces of wood are missing near the barrel tang, but there are no other significant losses and no major cracks or repairs were observed. The stock appears to have received a waxed or varnished finish at some point in the past, much of which remains well retained.

All three barrel bands retain their:

U

markings, while the buttplate tang is marked:

U.S.

Both sling swivels remain present and moveable.

The ramrod is the correct original pattern tulip head type with enlarged shank and still retains threads at the narrow end.

With its 1863 dated lock and barrel, U.S. / TRENTON markings, N.J. surcharge, visible inspector cartouche, three U marked bands, U.S. buttplate, correct tulip head ramrod, original percussion configuration, and very good three groove bore, this is a particularly appealing Civil War contract Model 1861 rifle musket. The light metal staining, oxidation near the bolster, scattered peppering, small stock losses near the tang, past stock finish, and minor bore roughness are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Civil War infantry arms, New Jersey state marked, Model 1861 rifle musket, Trenton contract, or advanced U.S. military firearms collection.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1864
Maker: Trenton L.&M. Co.
Model: Springfield Pattern 1861 Rifle 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.