Muzzleldrs Does this look Confederate?

[TheRebelPatriot]

I came across this, and was wondering is it Confederate? I included 3 photos and the ad description. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance!

 

[Grayrock Volunteer]

In this case the Roman Numerals make a pretty good case for it being a Confederate conversion. This is a Model 1840 lock plate, and the overwhelming majority of them were amongst the first arms to be percussion altered in the 1850s. Those examples do not have mating numbers like this on the inside of their locks. Subsequently, some of them were realtered via chambered breech pieces by Northern contractors like Henry Leman. Since the pan has not been milled out we know it wasn't a chambered breech alteration.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

Grayrock knows more than I do, but remember that this "system" of marking was used by gunsmiths and armories around the world, and not just confederate gunsmiths. All these guns made with non-identical parts were fitted together, and once fitted, the parts were often so marked so that they could be put back into the same gun once disassembled. Northern workmen did this, and Southern workmen did this, and workmen in Europe did this, and so on.
Sometimes they used real number stamps, and sometimes just used a flat blade screwdriver to make Roman Numerals such as III or VII and so on.
If Grayrock says that the US conversions done by the federal government in the 1850s don't have such marks, I don't know differently, and I don't think he would say it if it wasn't correct!
But often sellers will tell you that such marks are a sure sign of confederate work, and that's an overstatement.

 

[Grayrock Volunteer]

Grayrock knows more than I do, but remember that this "system" of marking was used by gunsmiths and armories around the world, and not just confederate gunsmiths. All these guns made with non-identical parts were fitted together, and once fitted, the parts were often so marked so that they could be put back into the same gun once disassembled. Northern workmen did this, and Southern workmen did this, and workmen in Europe did this, and so on.
Sometimes they used real number stamps, and sometimes just used a flat blade screwdriver to make Roman Numerals such as III or VII and so on.
If Grayrock says that the US conversions done by the federal government in the 1850s don't have such marks, I don't know differently, and I don't think he would say it if it wasn't correct!
But often sellers will tell you that such marks are a sure sign of confederate work, and that's an overstatement.

Thank you for the vote of confidence.

I will caveat for others that simply seeing Roman Numerals on your percussion converted musket does not mean it is a Confederate alteration. As @Jeff in Ohio said, these guns were all hand fitted, and US conversions will have assembly and reassembly markings on them. Taken out of context these markings could make any percussion conversion a Confederate job. Punch dots, Roman and Arabic Numerals, and alpha numeric codes were all used by US Arsenals and Northern contractors as well as Southern shops.

 

[toot]

a nice find.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

Thank you for the vote of confidence.

I will caveat for others that simply seeing Roman Numerals on your percussion converted musket does not mean it is a Confederate alteration. As @Jeff in Ohio said, these guns were all hand fitted, and US conversions will have assembly and reassembly markings on them. Taken out of context these markings could make any percussion conversion a Confederate job. Punch dots, Roman and Arabic Numerals, and alpha numeric codes were all used by US Arsenals and Northern contractors as well as Southern shops.

Colt collectors know that when Colt revolvers were sent back to the Colt factory in the 1920s and 1930s, the Colt factory would stamp a two or three digit matching number on each part of the revolver, so that after refinishing, it could be put back into the same gun!