Help identifying springfield 1861 model contract Muir&co 1864

Jeroen

Cadet
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Hello all, my name is Jeroen, i`m new here and i live on the other side of the Pond.. the Netherlands. i got my hands on this Muir&co musket rifle a long time ago, i shot it a few times at the range, and its in perfect working order. ( now i treasure it ) it seems this rifle had a interesting life, but i`m not sure what a few markings mean. there are 4 stripes cut into the left side, some say it was done if one took a long shot, but i`m not sure about that. the other markings are the one on the buttstock, here there are some letters and numbers burned into the wood, H.A 378. Is this some kind of regiment? i can`t seem to find any info on that one, maybe you guys have any idea?
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Welcome to CWT from the Smoky Mountain side of North Carolina. You have a nice rifle there but sorry I can’t help you but just wait a little while and someone will be along to answer your questions! Paging @ucvrelics
 
Jeroen - Congratulations on acquiring an American Civil War musket! The four marks on the side are whatever you want them to be, because this musket has had a long life and has been in the hands of many people in the past 150+ years. The letters and numbers on the stock near the butt plate are most likely European in nature. I say this because of the numerous European arms I have seen marked like that, and it is not a common type of marking used in America. I would say that your musket most likely found its way to Europe when France purchased 282,731 .58 caliber U.S. military muskets for use in the Franco-Prussian War. You have a nice example of a U.S. military musket which has had a long and interesting service life! Welcome, andI hope you enjoy this chat page!
J.
 
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Welcome From THE Heart Of Dixie. Very Nice Muir, There sub-contract was for 30,000 of these muskets and it has all the proper US markings. I have to agree with @Jobe Holiday on the other markings and a lot of these being sold overseas after the CW. I would say the markings on the stock butt are rack marks and the 4 line are any ones guess. Be sure to check out our annual get together "CWT Invades Vicksburg". Hope you can joins us.

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/cw...tour-the-official-thread.155709/#post-2006411
 
Jeroen - Congratulations on acquiring an American Civil War musket! The four marks on the side are whatever you want them to be, because this musket has had a long life and been in the hands of many people in the past 150+ years. The letters and numbers on the stock near the butt plate are most likely European in nature. I say this because of the numerous European arms I have seen marked like that, and it is not a common type of marking used in America. I would say that your musket most likely found its way to Europe when France purchased 282,731 .58 caliber U.S. military muskets for use in the Franco-Prussian War. You have a nice example of a U.S. military musket which has had a long and interesting service life! Welcome, andI hope you enjoy this chat page!
J.


Thank you Jobe Holiday for the info, ill try to search into the european data banks to find out a little more about this imported rifle!
must be a hard life to be used in 2 wars
 
Thank you Jobe Holiday for the info, ill try to search into the european data banks to find out a little more about this imported rifle!
must be a hard life to be used in 2 wars

Ha! Ask the Civil War soldiers on both sides that got issued 1854 Austrian rifles! Many of those imports saw action in Europe before being sold off by the Austrian government to buyers from the US and CS. And not being parts interchangeable (like the US models) the Austrian rifles were not as easily repaired and returned to service.
 
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