Normally, we try our best to offer original muskets that are "all correct" with minimal replacement parts; as mismatched guns
generally decrease a gun's value. However, there a few instances when replaced parts actually add to a gun's provenance; as is the case with this Confederate-captured and reissued M1861.
This contract musket was originally built for the Federal government by the E. Robinson firm in New York. Based on its lock date it was issued in 1863 or 1864. At some point during its tenure in military service, its owner was either killed or taken captive, and the musket became the property of the Confederacy, where is was sent back to the Richmond Armory repair shops and refurbished for service; having received a Confederate "Captured and Reissued" stamp applied to the stock.
The practice of collecting, repairing and re-issuing battlefield-collected weapons is described in thorough detail in Steven W. Knott's excellent book, "Captured & Collected" Confederate Reissued Firearms. The Confederate Army's desperation for modern weaponry lead to the creation of special ordnance teams to salvage usable arms from battlefields after the fighting had ended. By 1864, the Confederate government had also begun to pay civilians for weapons that were collected from battlefields. Some 200,000 firearms, along with perhaps another 50,000 turned in by CS units, mostly in the eastern theatre, are estimated to have gone through the process at Danville, Staunton, Lynchburg, and Richmond. This rifle bears a CS final inspector’s stamp, “Q,” just forward of the triggerguard tang. The identity of the individual inspector is unknown. Some theorize the letter may be a real initial, but it could be an assigned letter. In any case, the number and variety of guns bearing the mark point to someone working at the Richmond Arsenal/Artillery Workshop.
Often Confederate-captured weapons needed merely to be cleaned and inspected before being reissued, but some of the weapons required repair work to be made serviceable. This repair work was generally limited to salvaging parts from a variety of damaged weapons to create a functional weapon that could be put back in service. In the case of this particular rifle, it appears it was captured with a damaged barrel, as the original Robinson-made barrel has been replaced with a barrel made by Bridesburg. This is evidenced by the distinctive Bridesburg "thick" eagle head proofmark stamped at the breech. Both Robinson and Bridesburg produced M1861 muskets for the Federal government during the war, so a barrel swap would have been easily accomplished by a Confederate repair shop.
This musket is in good honest condition. The stock is sound with a some of the typical dings and dents associated with Confederate-owned weapons, but no damage or rotten areas. No cartouches are visible other than the Confederate Q stamp; which could indicate that Richmond also produced a new stock for this musket, however by late '64/early '65, the Richmond Repair shops ability to produce new walnut stocks had been greatly hindered by a shortage of suitable blanks and the pressing need for weapons. So, it's more likely that the cartouches are too faint, or the stock too dirty, to be made out.
The lock holds solid on both full and half cock and the furniture is all original and in good condition; including the ram rod, which is full length.
