Description
This is one of the last of 70,000 rifle muskets Model 1861 manufactured by Providence Tool Company of Providence, Rhode Island, from 1862-1865. This example may well be UNFIRED–the wood edges are crisp, the bore is near perfect and all markings are strong and legible. The buttplate and the lockplate exhibit the double lined “US” which was ONLY done by that one company. Over 800,000 contract arms were manufactured by over twenty different manufacturers from 1861-1865, making this one considered relatively scarce–especially in great condition.
This .58 caliber rifle musket is one of the finest I have seen in decades. It is unmolested, uncleaned and unpolished–just a beautiful smooth patina that will easily come off if you want it to glow in the armory bright condition it once was. If you want one of the BEST, you have found it.
