ironsights66
Cadet
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2018
- Location
- Oklahoma
Hello, so this is my model 1855 Springfield. The lock is marked as manufactured in 1860 so I guess that makes it last year of production. How I got this: I had always wanted a civil war rifle musket. While I was home on Christmas leave from Army Basic/AIT I walked into the local gun store to say hello to my buddy that worked there. My eye was immediately caught by what was obviously a well used smoke pole and asked him to see it. He handed it over and my jaw almost dropped as soon as I saw the Maynard primer door. I asked how much they were asking for never thinking I could actually afford it, and he tells me that the owner said $550 cash. Needless to say I came back 15 minutes later with a wad of Ben Franklin's and left with a Springfield. I know she is rough, but she shoots. My best guess is that the man who carried it in the war brought it home as a hunting rifle. I say this because you can see where decorative tacks were once arranged in a heart pattern in the stock, also it has the former owner's initials on it. I'm not sure if a soldier would be able to get away with that. The story was that it came from an old lady who didn't care for guns, and that it had been in her family for a long time. No clue who that would have been or even which side her (presumed) ancestor would have fought for. I live in the Cherokee and Muskogee Nation area of the former Indian Territory (east Oklahoma). The war in these parts was a confusing mixture of skirmishes between Federal forces (white, black, Native American) and Rebel ( Texas cavalry, Indian Confederates, guerrillas). So basically it could have come from anywhere. So here is my issue, The rear sight leaves and screw are missing. I tried replacing them with 1861 parts from S&S, only to realize that an 1855 sight is slightly different. from my examination it seems the hole in the sight base is located central to the radius of the curvature of the "ears" of the sight base, but on an 1861 it is further ahead and closer to the barrel. I assume to make room to make the screw head flush with the sight base. So basically the 1861 leaves are sitting in the wrong place to actually fit, also the screw is too short to engage the threads on the sight base because a 1855's sight leaf screw is not flush. I have ordered new leaves actually for the 1855 from S&S, but they do not sell a leaf screw for the 1855. I am having no luck finding one whatsoever. If anyone has a tip or knows for a fact I am wrong about something I just said please help me. I like this rifle very much but it might as well be smooth bored without a rear sight.
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