Real or Faux? Old Civil War Era Musket

BienGator

Cadet
Joined
Nov 6, 2019
I have been looking to start collecting muskets and was looking for an cheaper American musket. I came across this 1863 Springfield musket, but I am aware that replicas of these exist. I was offered to buy this one, though I was tempted, I'd rather prefer to consult with a more knowledgeable crowd on the matter
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Run Away!!!
The good news is all the parts look original. The bad part is it is a mix of parts in decent to poor condition. It has an Enfield hammer on a 1864 Springfield Lock, missing the sling swivels, maybe missing lock internals, and the ramrod is not correct. It is more of a parts gun at this point and not worth very much. Not a good start to a collection.
 
Generally speaking, the overall condition should be high on your list of priorities for any artifact you want to collect. To answer your question, no that is not a modern reproduction but it is also not anything collectible. Poor condition overall, a mixture of various parts and obviously not a good example of any type US model rifle-musket.
 
First let me say, you are doing the wise thing by asking for information. We all start by knowing little about collecting, but learning is so important.
I would suggest scanning past posts about these old weapons on this forum. Read and learn. It should be enjoyable.

A wise man I know once said, "Your first purchase should be reference books." He still says it. (Pretty good advice.)

Knowledge is a wonderful thing. Better to learn from the mistakes of others than your own. In the meantime, post any questions on this forum. People are always willing to help.
 
Welcome From THE Heart Of Dixie. I have to agree with all of the above and would like to also add that in the last 4 -5 years the price of Union muskets has dropped considerably so you should be able to find a nice for not that much money. Just take your time do your research and when you find it you will know it.
 
A dear old friend of mine, who is no longer with us and was a dealer in Civil War guns, had this to say about collecting them. "Invest in the finest specimen you can find. If they are truly what you want, you can't go wrong in the long run. One nice piece beats out a closet full of junk any day." Many collectors took his advise and today own some of the finest collections around. Some of you may know who I'm talking about. His name was Frank Garrett.
 
It's well known that the rebs cobbled together guns from assorted parts. Salvaging bits and pieces from badly broken and damaged guns to build new weapons or repair old ones. (They converted some Hall breech-loaders to muzzle-loaders) I wouldn't toss this one out but I hope you didn't pay a big wad for it either. It may be a clever fake using original parts. I see right off where the hammer does not align with the nipple or make correct contact. That's a warning sign. (Replaced hammer) A "Franken-musket" to be sure! Did you check to see if it's still loaded ?
 
It's well known that the rebs cobbled together guns from assorted parts. Salvaging bits and pieces from badly broken and damaged guns to build new weapons or repair old ones. (They converted some Hall breech-loaders to muzzle-loaders) I wouldn't toss this one out but I hope you didn't pay a big wad for it either. It may be a clever fake using original parts. I see right off where the hammer does not align with the nipple or make correct contact. That's a warning sign. (Replaced hammer) A "Franken-musket" to be sure! Did you check to see if it's still loaded ?
Actually now that you mention it, the one offering it says it was purchased from a family in South Carolina. BTW thanks all for the good advice. They're asking around 400$ for it still on the fence about it. But the fact that it came from South Carolina strikes me as odd.
 
FWIW, I think the bulk of it is actually a Model 1861 Special by Lamson, Goodnow, & Yale. The shape of the buttstock, what there are of the lock markings, and the shape of the barrel bolster are all correct for this model. The hammer, and ramrod are incorrect replacements, as previously noted, and the rear sight is obviously missing. I'm not too sure about the front barrel band either, but, otherwise, it looks to me like it is all original. I don't know if is worth the money asked or not, I agree with the advice to get a nice one, but thought I would share that much. Here is a previous thread on one of these rifle-muskets that you can compare it to:
 
Welcome from the Shiloh/Pittsburg Landing Forum and North Mississippi! Be sure and visit the Forum soon.
Regards
David
 
Most of us are suggesting the same thing....don't give into temptation and buy a junker. Save up a little more before you dive in and buy something that is in good condition that you really like, and in particular, won't regret down the road. If you have to talk yourself into it by trying to convince yourself that it could be this or that because of some cobbled pieces, it's definitely not the gun you want to buy. I Cant tell you how many "wall hangers" I bought before regretting them afterward and taking the advice to buy all future weapons in good condition.
 
Maybe it's not much good to a collector, but if only this rifle could speak to us! I like to imagine some Union soldier breaking his rifle and then having to cobble together a Frankengun out of various bits and bobs.
 
Then would anyone know of a good place to get started. I don't have much money to spend so I was preferably looking for something under 1,000$. I'm aware that if I'm looking to collect something that is usually pricey then I should've come with more money to spend but unfortunately that is not the case.
 
Then would anyone know of a good place to get started. I don't have much money to spend so I was preferably looking for something under 1,000$. I'm aware that if I'm looking to collect something that is usually pricey then I should've come with more money to spend but unfortunately that is not the case.
You should be able to get a pretty decent one for about $900.
 
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