Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Civil War Springfield Model 1861 contract rifle musket manufactured by Edward Robinson of New York, New York, with an 1864 dated lock and 1862 dated barrel. It remains in its original muzzle-loading percussion configuration and retains three U marked barrel bands, a U.S. marked buttplate, clear E. ROBINSON / NEW YORK lock markings, and an especially fine three groove bore with bright surfaces and crisp 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 enormous 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. Edward Robinson of New York was one of these contractors and produced approximately 30,000 rifle muskets for the U.S. Army during the war. Robinson continued manufacturing the Model 1861 pattern after other makers had transitioned to later specifications, which accounts for surviving examples with later lock dates.

This example retains its original muzzle-loading percussion configuration and was never converted to a later breech-loading system.

The lock plate tail is dated:

1864

Under the hammer is the Federal eagle over:

U.S.

To the right is the contractor marking:

E. ROBINSON
NEW YORK

The lock markings remain clear and readily legible. The plate itself is in very good condition, showing only light wear and signs of past cleaning associated with the removal of surface oxidation.

The barrel breech retains the standard inspection and proof marks:

V
P
Eagle Head

A faint date on the top of the breech reads:

1862

This creates a two-year discrepancy between the 1864 lock and 1862 barrel. The exact reason cannot be established from the arm itself. The barrel may have been assembled from an earlier component, replaced during service, or otherwise paired with the later lock, but no specific explanation can be confirmed.

A faint inspection cartouche is present on the left side of the stock, though the initials are no longer legible.

The one piece walnut stock remains in very good condition with an attractive red brown color and the expected dents, dings, scratches, and handling marks from military use. There are no signs of major restoration or significant repairs. Some chipping is present around the fittings, while the lock area shows wear and cracking consistent with age and service. Additional scuffing and scratching are visible around the ramrod channel, and there is a crack on the left side by the nose cap, running back to the barrel band.

The metalwork retains much of its original bright finish, though there are clear signs of past cleaning to remove dirt and oxidation. Scattered old peppering remains, together with powder residue related corrosion around the nipple cone and bolster.

The three barrel bands show somewhat different levels of wear and oxidation. This may indicate that one or more were replaced, refinished, or refurbished at some point, though their exact history cannot be determined. All three remain marked:

U

The buttplate tang is marked:

U.S.

Both sling swivels remain present and move freely.

The barrel retains the original pattern three leaf rear sight graduated for:

100 / 300 / 500 yards

The front sight, however, has been replaced with a barleycorn style blade mounted in a dovetail.

The bore is one of the strongest features of this rifle musket. It remains bright with crisp lands and grooves, and the three groove rifling is exceptionally well preserved. Fine cutting marks are still visible in the grooves, suggesting relatively limited firing wear. There are no major areas of heavy corrosion noted.

The lock functions correctly in its present condition, holding securely at half cock and releasing at full cock. The bolster cleanout screw removes easily, though it appears to be a postwar replacement.

The ramrod is a tulip type, but it does not have the correct enlarged shank and the narrow end is unthreaded, indicating that it is not the proper original pattern for this rifle musket.

With its clear E. ROBINSON / NEW YORK contractor markings, 1864 dated lock, unusual 1862 dated barrel, excellent bright three groove bore, surviving U marked bands, U.S. buttplate, original percussion configuration, and attractive Civil War service wear, this is a particularly appealing Model 1861 contract rifle musket. The lock and barrel date discrepancy, stock chipping and cracking, barrel band finish differences, replaced front sight, probable replacement cleanout screw, and incorrect tulip type ramrod are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Civil War infantry arms, Edward Robinson contract, Model 1861 rifle musket, New York contractor, or advanced U.S. military firearms collection.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1862 and 1864
Maker: E. Robinson
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.