Muzzleldrs M-1863 Springfield Type II Musket

[trevorsworth]

Hello all, I would like to share some pictures of a Springfield musket I recently acquired. It was built in 1864 and is in overall very good condition. I am told it was last fired on July 4, 1958!

The only marking I can find on this rifle aside from the expected makers' marks and proofs is a '53' stamped on the top of the buttplate. Any clue as to what it means?

I am interested in finding a bayonet for this rifle but I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. There seem to be many variations and very few sellers seem to actually know exactly what their bayonet fits.

I paid $700 for this rifle. How'd I do?

 

[UCVRelics]

Nice piece and $700 is a good price as they have been coming down over the last few years. The 53 maybe a rack number but its a little small for one. Below is the bayonet for your 1863 Springfield.

There is another version that has 7 rivets.

 

[trevorsworth]

Nice piece and $700 is a good price as they have been coming down over the last few years. The 53 maybe a rack number but its a little small for one. Below is the bayonet for your 1863 Springfield.

There is another version that has 7 rivets.

Thanks. I almost bought a "Springfield musket bayonet" that turned out to be an 1873 Trapdoor bayonet. Now I know what I'm looking for, I have placed a bid on a bayonet with a (reproduction) 7-rivet frog.

Rack number was my first guess but I thought the same thing, that it's too small and a little poorly defined. I was wondering if it might be a regiment, but then just 53 seems too vague, because there were plenty of 53rds around.

Other than that I suppose this example is as generic as the 1863 comes and there is probably little hope of tracking any individual history.

 

[3rd North Carolina]

not a bad price, i would not want to try to fire it though unless its really inspected by a gunsmith on the bore

 

[johan_steele]

Good price for a great piece.

 

[captaindrew]

Nice piece!

 

[JOHN42768]

Have fun

 

[trevorsworth]

not a bad price, i would not want to try to fire it though unless its really inspected by a gunsmith on the bore

I agree!

Guess this barrel is a goner. I will source another one at some point to do some shooting with. With a crack like that I would assume it is not even safe for blank charges.

 

[CHarris]

If mine I would have Hoyt Line it so it can be shot. He has saved many barrels.

 

[trevorsworth]

If mine I would have Hoyt Line it so it can be shot. He has saved many barrels.

It hadn't occurred to me that that was possible. I'll look into that. I would always prefer to bring the original back into service.

 

[rob63]

Just my opinion, but I think you would have to be absolutely nuts to get that lined and shoot it. I suspect Hoyt would have enough sense to refuse to do it anyway, but do yourself a favor and just don't. It's fine to line a barrel that has poor rifling, but that is an obvious catastrophic failure about to happen.

It's a nice historic rifle-musket, enjoy it for what it is.

When you look for a bayonet, see if a penny will pass through the socket. A penny will pass through the socket of a Model 1855, but not a Model 1873. It's the easiest way to tell them apart.

 

[trevorsworth]

Just my opinion, but I think you would have to be absolutely nuts to get that lined and shoot it. I suspect Hoyt would have enough sense to refuse to do it anyway, but do yourself a favor and just don't. It's fine to line a barrel that has poor rifling, but that is an obvious catastrophic failure about to happen.

It's a nice historic rifle-musket, enjoy it for what it is.

When you look for a bayonet, see if a penny will pass through the socket. A penny will pass through the socket of a Model 1855, but not a Model 1873. It's the easiest way to tell them apart.

That may be the case, I don't know enough about the finer points of barrel liners, I would have assumed the liner is bearing all the force and the original barrel is little more than a decorative shroud. I don't want to expose the gun to any undue risk so that's not something I would have done without doing a lot of research.

 

[Package4]

Hello all, I would like to share some pictures of a Springfield musket I recently acquired. It was built in 1864 and is in overall very good condition. I am told it was last fired on July 4, 1958!

View attachment 334182
View attachment 334183
View attachment 334184
View attachment 334185
View attachment 334186

The only marking I can find on this rifle aside from the expected makers' marks and proofs is a '53' stamped on the top of the buttplate. Any clue as to what it means?

I am interested in finding a bayonet for this rifle but I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. There seem to be many variations and very few sellers seem to actually know exactly what their bayonet fits.

I paid $700 for this rifle. How'd I do?

You did well, treasure it!

 

[Waterloo50]

Fascinating shop/collection of oddities you have there.

 

[Larryh86GT]

That's a nice Springfield. I really like the looks of it. Decent price for it.

 

[BronxYankee]

Nice. I also like that PAC Man video game in the glass case there

 

[Larryh86GT]

I like the Navy 40MM WW2 AA shell I see also. I have a couple of those.

 

[Ethan S.]

She's a beauty!

 

[Seduzal]

Thanks for sharing this awesome story and photos. Enjoyed it

 

[Peter Stines]

It almost looks like a swell on the sides right in line with the scar on top. I'd send it to Hoyt and see what he thinks. It may still be salvageable. But if not, give Ed Kniseley a shout. He has original barrels and other parts for trap-door and m/l military muskets and rifles. I just found an old price list yesterday. If you are looking for hardware or lock parts, he has it. If you need his phone and mail let me know.