3rd Model Burnside with initials - any way to ID?

[Wraith_3]

This Burnside is from my dad's collection and it has the initials "WTM" on the stock. He never got a chance to try to ID the soldier. From what I've read, the only way to find a soldier's ID or the unit a weapon was issued to is if you're lucky enough for that weapon to be on one of the records that are still around. I just want to see if there's any way to find the soldier/unit. Does this add or detract from the value since it's on there, but I don't have the soldier's identity? Also does anyone know what the "1" and "U" on the underside of the stock are?

 

[UCVRelics]

Its very hard to nail down 3 initials on a stock as you don't know if they are war done or post war done. The only way to tell is if it shows up in the Springfield Research serial# data base of unit it was issued to then lookup all the names in the unit. It really doesn't add to or take away and value.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

I once owned a Colt 1860 revolver which I know was issued to one of Kentucky's one-year cavalry regiments, enlisted to counter invasion of the state, which had three initials scratched into the butt.
This was a short-serving unit, had few casualties, and so few replacements, and I had a list of all the men in that unit.
I thought, "I can figure out who had this Colt."
But I found more than half a dozen men with these three initials in that unit!

 

[ibgreen]

I echo the above. Your only outside chance is if I shows up in the springfield register but even if it does, lots of arms were re-issued or of course these may have been marked post war. I am fortunate to have acquired a Spencer rifle that was engraved professionally as a private purchase for a Tennessee Captain.

 

[Wraith_3]

Thanks, that's pretty much what I thought. I would actually love to keep it if my mom didn't need the money because it has one of the neatest breech mechanisms ever!