![]() Early Richmond rifle-musket production runs were assembled almost entirely from the captured M1855 parts including the metal furniture which was mostly iron. This Richmond rifle-musket, which we consider an early transitional Type-1, is a scarce longarm being one of only 2300 very early Southern-produced rifle muskets assembled at the Richmond Armory with original M1855 rifle parts taken from the Federal Harper’s Ferry Armory. They were the predecessor of the Confederate government’s first production run of military longarms which commenced at the end of August or early September timeframe in 1861. ![]() These very early high-hump models had lockplates with the date “1861” stamped behind the hammer, and “RICHMOND, VA” forward of the hammer. The equipment was relocated to the Richmond, Virginia Armory where the Type-1’s were assembled once the southern armory was refitted with the Federal machinery. In April of 1861, Virginia State Forces under rebel Captain Turner Ashby raided Harper’s Ferry and made off with the Federal armory’s most modern M1855 rifle and rifle musket tooling and milling machinery, including all the spare M1855 musket parts and dies. ![]() 58 caliber rifle-musket, is based on the M1855 Pattern made at the U.S. The ‘high hump’ characteristic in the Federal M1855 lockplate was designed to support the Maynard tape primer system which the Confederates did not utilize in their own production. ![]() This Richmond Armory longarm is often referred to as a Confederate ‘High Hump’ rifle musket. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |