M1861 Parkers & Snow

johan_steele · Mar 18, 2023

Went to the Heritage Arms Show looking for a Ballard, Spencer Rifle or M1817… there was an M1817 advertised and priced as an original flint but… well she just looked off enough for me to say no. There was a later Ballard… with a Steven's barrel & fore end that just looked off to me. There were three Spencer Carbines no one wanted to get rid of real bad and one that had been converted to a .50-70 buffalo rifle. I had decided I'd go home with nothing when this young lady jumped into my hands and demanded to be brought home. I have an M1861… a Whitney… I don't need another M1861… but it's a Parker's Snow & Co… rifling is all but gone with a crappy repop rear sight… Jim two tables down has an original site base for $55… I really wasn't looking… wait how much? Shut up and take my money!

How did you hop into the back of my wife's van? Then my father who came looking for an M1841 came back with a M1860 Cavalry Sabre for how much?!? Good lord, everybody made out like a bandit.

*As a note pictured is the original site base.

Jeff in Ohio · Mar 18, 2023

Congrats!

scooter748driver · Mar 18, 2023

Beautiful! Glad you didn't wind up empty handed

bayonet · Mar 18, 2023

Must be something with that Maker with the rear sights falling off. Picked mine dated 1863 up many years ago and it had no rear sight. Just brought an original that matched the patina and put it on.

Cornpone and Molasses · Mar 18, 2023

Nice pickup!

johan_steele · Mar 18, 2023

bayonet said:
Must be something with that Maker with the rear sights falling off. Picked mine dated 1863 up many years ago and it had no rear sight. Just brought an original that matched the patina and put it on.

They didn't easily fall off as they were screwed on with a screw you need a a special driver to remove. Unlike the Enfield and the majority of arms from the continent that were brazed on which could be easily knocked off.

JOHN42768 · Mar 18, 2023

You always need one of each variety

Jeff in Ohio · Mar 18, 2023

One is a good start

Kyle Kalasnik · Mar 21, 2023

JOHN42768 said:
You always need one of each variety

That is what I tell my wife. Just like her different colors of nail polish.

johan_steele · Mar 21, 2023

Kyle Kalasnik said:
That is what I tell my wife. Just like her different colors of nail polish.

I always tell her I need to have one to match my socks… as I have yet to wake up dead she isn't too unamused.

If I want to shoot this one I'll have to get a liner or just shoot buckshot. She also needs the proper rear sight leaves and a replacement front sight.

johan_steele · Mar 21, 2023

I only have 13... but my father can add a pair of P53 Towers, an M1863 & M1864 and a few carbines to the mix. When I do my displays I often borrow his Infantry arms. A few years ago my father, myself and a couple other collectors did a thing at Olmstead County where we brought all of our originals. We displayed more than 50 originals between us. Though that's nothing compared to the true professionals like @Lanyard Puller and others who have made a profession of it.

Which reminds me I need to take some more pics of my ladies.

My Shiloh Sharps