Collectible Antique Longarms for sale (pre-1899)
NOTE: THE ITEMS BELOW ARE "ANTIQUES" AND NO NOT REQUIRE A FFL FOR SHIPMENT.

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**NEW ADDITION** 13968 Winchester Model 1873 (Second Model) carbine .44 WCF (.44-40) made in 1881 - Serial number 68650 with standard 20 inch round barrel, and complete with original cleaning rod still in the butt trap.  This is a well used, but not abused, example of the classic “gun that won the west.”   The Model 1873 introduced the famous .44-40 center fire cartridge which remains popular even today.  The rifle mechanism I s similar to the earlier Winchester Model 1866, but the switch to centerfire ammunition resulted in a much stronger rim on the cartridge, and the ability to use a much heavier powder charge, making the Model 1873 a vast improvement over its predecessor.  In addition, the center fire cartridges could be reloaded with a simple tool, some primers, black powder and  bullets cast over a campfire.  The Model 1873 could be purchased in the same caliber as many of the revolvers of the era, with .44-40 being one of the most popular.  The second Model 1873s are relatively scarce, comprising only about 59,000 of the over 720,000 Model 1873s made.  Being made in 1881 this one almost certainly went exciting places during this important period in American history.
Metal parts are a pleasing mix of dull steel gray, with a little blue turned mostly plum, with some freckles of patina and rust or light roughness, mainly on the barrel.  The stock is sound, tight fitting, with assorted minor scrapes and bruises, but still solid, not oil soaked, and having a mellow sheen.  Good mechanics.  Minimal buggering of a couple of screw heads.  Bore is dark and worn, but not deeply pitted.  Non-adjustable fixed rear sight may or may not be original.  This is from the estate of a past President of the Winchester Arms Collectors. Antique, no FFL requried. $2,550.00 (View Picture)

**NEW ADDITION** 14205 U.S. Model 1884 .45-70 "Trapdoor" Springfield rifle - Serial number 499823. This one was probably made about 1890, shortly before the switch to the rod bayonet Model 1888 rifles. A good representative M1884 trapdoor rifle that has an excellent bright and sharp bore. Exterior looks like it is one of the many thousands which were arsenal “cleaned and repaired” after the Spanish American War (and quite likely veterans of that conflict). The stock has been lightly sanded and given a shellac finish which is typical of that overhaul, leaving no traces of the cartouche or circle P. Metal parts have about 95-98% old blue finish, either arsenal or arsenal refinish turned mostly plum, and may or may not look better with some cleaning with steel wool or a palette knife. Breechblock has a more polished glossy blue finish, and may be a replacement but is correct 1884 dated type. Some rust scale on the buttplate tang area. Good mechanics. Excellent bore. One small chip out of the wood alongside the cleaning rod channel. Overall a handsome representative rifle, and likely good shooter. (Remember, we sell all guns as collector items and they must be approved by a competent gunsmith prior to firing.) $895.00 (View Picture)

17006 GERMAN GEWEHR 1871/84 11MM MAUSER (11 x 60mmR) BOLT ACTION REPEATING RIFLE - Serial number 460 made at Spandau in 1888.and so marked on the receiver and the top barrel flat. The Infanterie Gewehr Model 1871/1884, Germany's first infantry repeating rifle, is an evolution of Paul Mauser's first successful military rifle, the Model 1871 single shot Mauser. Learning from the Turkish victory at the battles of Plevna in 1877, (where the Turks, partially armed with Model 1866 Winchester repeating rifles soundly defeated the numerically superior Russians armed with Krnka and Berdan II single shot rifles) the I.G.Mod.71/84 uses a tubular magazine (similar to the Winchester system), and the basic Mauser bolt action. The 8 round tubular magazine in the forestock loaded singly from the top with the bolt open. Rounds are carried to the chamber by an elevator which pivots at the back, similar to the Kropatcheks but quite unlike the Swiss Vetterli repeater. There is a magazine cut-off lever on the left side so that the rifle may be used in single shot mode when it is in the forward position, considered a necessary military tactic at the time. The 71/84 rifles were superbly made and finished, with blued barrel, receiver and bolt in the white, and fire blued small parts. The Prussian state where the rifles were in service is indicted by the crowned monarch’s cipher on the barrel: This one bears the F.W for Fredrick Wilhelm of Prussia, while others are marked L for King Ludwig of Bavaria, or W for the Wurttemberg Kingdom. Although the I.G.Mod.71/84 never saw front line military service, many saw service with German reserve and behind the lines units through WW1. This one has no unit marks, so it probably remained in storage. Apparently it went through an arsenal at some point where the two upper bands and the bolt assembly were switched, while all other parts, down to the screw heads, have matching number 460 or 60 on them. Bore is near excellent with some scattered small spots that will probably clean out. The unsanded stock has good inspector cartouches along with assorted storage and handling dings the worst shown in the photos. The barrel has about 95% of the original bright blue finish along with the lower band. The two upper bands have less blue, turning plum. The trigger guard shows more wear with about 60% blue left. The buttplate is a mix of dull steel gray and stains and light patina/rust. The receiver and bolt which were originally polished bright are now a mix of dull steel gray and stains. The retaining screw for the upper band is missing, and the screw on the middle band is broken (a small button on the end broke off so that it cannot be “backed out” to tighten the band, leaving it sliding on the forend.. Overall, a good looking example of this historic milestone in the development of Mauser rifles, with a couple of minor problems factored into the price. (NOTE: For more excellent history and disassembly instructions on this model, and info on all military rifles of the black powder era see Keith Doyan’s OUTSTANDING site at http://www.militaryrifles.com.) ANTIQUE, no FFL needed. $850.00 (View Picture)

16871 CIVIL WAR MAYNARD SADDLE RING CARBINE (Second Model) - Serial number 20056, these are a very clever design with a simple and strong locking mechanism. These used a .50 caliber brass cartridge case with a brass disc soldered to the base as a rim. A small hole in the center of the base allowed the flash from the external percussion cap to fire the case. About 5,000 of the “First Model” Maynard carbines were made, with a patchbox in the butt and using the Maynard tape primer which was a big fad circa 1858 when these were first made. The “Second Model” eliminated the patchbox and Maynard primer and about 20,202 of these were delivered for use in the Civil War, with serial numbers running consecutively through both models. The Maynards were popular due to their light weight and simple operation. They reached the field in 1864, serving mainly in the western theater. John McAulay’s superb “U.S. Military Carbines” has lots more on the various campaigns in which they saw action. The Maynard design continued in production after the Civil War for the commercial market, with modifications to replace the nipple with a firing pin to allow use of regular metallic cartridges. The Civil War Maynard carbines were made by the Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. That firm was incorporated in 1851 and included Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson (later to become Smith & Wesson); Joshua Stevens of Stevens Arms, and J.T. Ames of Ames Manufacturing Company, really the core of the American arms industry. This one is a handsome example with a near perfect, unsanded, walnut stock with razor sharp inspector cartouches and only a couple of minor handling blemishes. The metal parts retain about 90-95% of their original colors, but close inspection reveals that there are a number of spots where it has rusted during less than optimal storage over the years. The buttplate is a mix of dull steel gray, staining, and spots of patina. Crisp unbuggered screw heads and sharp markings. Bore is about perfect, mirror bright and sharp. A handsome great example of this historic design. ANTIQUE, no FFL needed. $2450.00 (View Picture)

16862 “NORTH CAROLINA CONFEDERATE USED” U.S. MODEL 1817 COMMON RIFLE ALTERED FOR BAYONET - Made by Simeon North at Middletown, Connecticut in 1825, this was one of the arms distributed under the Militia Act of 1808 for militia use, and marked on the barrel “N. CAROLINA” upon receipt by the state of North Carolina. Large numbers of “rifles” of unspecified models were on hand or already issued to North Carolina troops during the early months of the Civil War. Records indicate that it was very common to have several companies of a regiment armed with muskets and one or two with “rifles” including the 7th N.C. State Troops and the 12th and 16th N.C. Infantry. There is no doubt that arms on hand were issued for use in the Civil War, and the fact that the barrel has been altered for use of a bayonet pretty well confirms that it was. This alteration consisted of adding a brass front sight to the upper band, and replacing the barrel mounted front sight with a square stud for a socket bayonet. The barrel diameter is a good fit for many of the M1816 musket bayonets, although some selected fitting was required as they were non-interchangeable. Despite the addition of the bayonet, this remains in original flintlock configuration, suggesting that it was issued very early in the war, and quite likely taken home at the end of a short enlistment (of when a soldier deserted, but brave old rebels would never do that.). The M1817 is often called the “Common Rifle,” a term adopted to distinguish it from the “Hall’s Patent Breechloading rifles” being made and issued during the same period. Only about 38,400 of the common rifles were made circa 1817-1840s. (13,000 by Henry Deringer; 8,000 by Robert Johnson; 7,200 by Simeon North; and 10,200 by Nathan Starr). While the North Carolina usage during the Civil War is the most exciting feature, this would till be a very desirable example even without that history. Overall this is far above average condition for a common rifle. It remains in original flint, and although it has been lightly cleaned, the overall appearance is near excellent, with a pleasing dull steel gray mixed with patina and/or dried crud on the harder to reach areas. There are a few small patches of light pitting on the hammer and frizzen and a nearby spot on the right side of the barrel. The unsanded stock has a mellow old oil finish patina, with the expected assorted minor storage and handling dings, but no significant scars or damage. The iron patchbox has the “J” type combination tool which serves as a screwdriver and to tighten the jaw screw. The jaw screw appears to be a period replacement with the hole too small for the tool to work, but the tools are scarce as hens teeth. Bore is fine to excellent, dark in the narrow grooves, but smooth on the broad lands, the best I have seen in one of these. A great looking example of the M1817 “Common Rifle” with the added desirability of being North Carolina marked and therefore accepted to be a “Confederate” gun. $6950.00 (View Picture)

**HOLD** 16860 U.S. Model 1842 .69 caliber smoothbore percussion musket SUPERB! - Made at Springfield in 1853 with matching dates on lockplate and barrel. Springfield made about 172,000 of these 1844-1855, and Harpers Ferry made about 103,000 more. This model is a significant historical milestone, as it was the first percussion musket adopted for the U.S. Army, and the first to be make with 100% interchangeable parts by both the National Armories. It was also the last of the smoothbore muskets, marking the end of the lineage traced back to the French Charleville muskets first supplied to the American army during the Revolutionary War. At the outbreak of the Civil War, nearly every available M1842 musket was pressed into service, and saw hard usage by raw troops during the early years of the war, and many remained in service until the end. This is one of a very small number that somehow escaped active service and remains in near mint condition. These are very hard to find in better condition grades and this is much better than the one in John’s collection. The walnut stock is excellent with only a couple of dings by the middle band. There is a crisp cartouche on the left flat a script JS in a block. There is also a small sans-serif “U.S.” there which we cannot explain and consider probably a later addition. The wood has the deep, dark tone of aged, oiled walnut, and is good an solid with good edges. The metal parts retain about 98% of the original (or at least very old) bright polished finish. There is a bit of staining on the heel of the buttplate from storage and a couple of tiny speck under the eagle on the lockplate. The bottom of the trigger guard looks as if it may have rusted at one time and been cleaned, but otherwise it looks like original finish. The bore is excellent. Most parts have tiny inspector initial “G” stamped on them, including screws and tip of the ramrod. Overall this is as nice a Model 1842 musket as you are likely to find anywhere. In addition to being a key Civil War arm, these provide an excellent beginning point for a collection of Springfield or U.S. military shoulder arms. $4400.00 (View Picture)

16869 SHARPS NEW MODEL 1863 SADDLE RING CARBINE, .52 CALIBER PERCUSSION- (BEAUTIFUL!) - Serial number 87928. Probably the most famous cavalry carbines of the Civil War were the percussion Sharps and the cartridge Spencers. This is an absolutely beautiful looking example of the famous Sharps, and representative of the “New Model” carbine models made during the Civil War. The Sharps made prior to 1859 used a “slant breech” but the “New Model” introduced in 1859 used a “straight breech.” By the end of the Civil War some 120,000 of these rifles and carbines had been made and over 100,000 saw military use. The vast majority were carbines, designated as New Model 1859 (roughly 30,000 to 75,000 serial number range); the New Model 1863 (roughly 75,000 to 140,000 range,); and the New Model 1865 (roughly 140,000-145,000). The difference in models is nearly insignificant, but the M1859 and earlier M1863s had patch boxes, and the later ones did not. A clean out screw was added on the NM1863, and a minor sight change made along the way. Basically they are all considered pretty much to be a single model, except by the advanced Sharps addicts. This example is considered to be an early New Model 1863, still having the iron patchbox. Exact date of manufacture is probably early in 1863, as carbines in the mid 80,000 range were being issued to Union cavalry regiments in April-June 1863. This is a truly beautiful gun, with vivid original color case hardening colors on all the parts that were finished that way. Although collectors admire the broad spectrum of gray, blue, violet and browns from that finishing method, they are merely a happy by product, not an intentional outcome of the manufacturing process, and the eventually will fade or wear if exposed to sunlight or moisture or abrasion. The stocks are superb, unsanded with crisp original cartouches and subinspector markings as shown in the photos, and only the original oil finish. Stocks are about perfect without even the usual handling and storage dings. Now the bad news- the barrel was changed at some point, probably in a military arsenal, but perhaps later, as the serial number on the barrel, 87529 does not match the receiver. Also, the barrel shows much light pitting on the surfaces hidden by the forend, and a small amount on the sides and top from the rear sight to and the receiver. The barrel finish appears to be original on the forward part, but touched up on the rear area at the time it was changed. There is a small patch of rust on the left receiver flat, and a tiny amount on the receiver ring and a few specks on the rear bas of the saddle ring bar. Overall say about 99% original finish, except the barrel which has about 96-98% old mixed finish remaining. The six groove bore is bright and sharp except for some light pitting for the first couple of inches. Overall, despite the changed barrel, this as handsome a Civil War Sharps carbine as most collectors will ever see anywhere, with blazing case colors and perfect wood. $5250.00 (View Picture)

16870 CIVIL WAR JOSLYN MODEL 1864 SADDLE RING CARBINE .52 CALIBER - Serial number 4797, all matching. The Joslyn was a brilliantly simple design, with a side swinging breechblock that used a wedge type extractor to remove the fired case. There were three basic models, the first being the Model 1855 in .54 caliber, firing a paper cartridge ignited by a percussion cap placed on a nipple in the breechblock. In 1862, the first cartridge model was made, substituting a firing pin for the nipple, and chambered for the Spencer rimfire cartridge (either the .56-56 or .56-52 types would work), with about 3,600 made. This was followed by the Model 1864 (about 12,500 made) differing from the M1862 mainly in having a spring loaded latch to hold the block in the closed position, a protective ring around the firing pin, and use of iron instead of brass furniture. This carbine is the Model 1864, made in 1864 and undoubtedly reaching the field late that year. The following Cavalry units are listed in John McAulay’s superb “U.S. Military Carbines” as having the Model 1864 Joslyn carbines: 2nd California; 4th & 8th Indiana; 2nd Kentucky; 4th Missouri; 1st Nebraska; 11th Ohio; 9th Pennsylvania; 13th Tennessee; 2nd & 3rd West Virginia; 1st Wisconsin, and the 3rd and 5th U.S. Colored. I believe that the 1st Colorado Volunteer Cavalry should be on the list as well. (The M1864 Joslyn action became the basis for Springfield Armory’s Model 1865 Joslyn RIFLE, the first breechloading rifles made there, the with 3,0007 made in early 1865 but delivered too late for combat use.) This is an excellent looking example with about 90-95% old dark blue finish. The walnut stock has a few assorted storage and handling dings, and a darkened oil finish, and show signs of having been scraped clean at one time, removing the cartouches. The three groove bore is bright and sharp. Lockplate marked JOSLYN FIRE ARMS Co., STONINGTON, CONN, 1864. Rear of breech block marked B.F. JOSLYN’S PATENT, OCTOBER 8th 1861, JUNE 24th 1862. During the French arms buying frenzy in 1870-1871 (when they were short on arms to surrender to the Germans in the Franco-Prussian War) the U.S. Army basically sold off most of its surplus Civil War era arms. The long list included sale of some 6,600 of the Joslyn carbines to the French. Many were captured or seized by the Germans and eventually sold to Belgium, and some have found their way back to the U.S. I believe that this carbine is one which was sold to France after the Civil War, and that it was lightly refinished sometime after that. In any case, this is an extremely nice example of an important Civil War saddle ring carbine model. $3100.00 (View Picture)

16998 U.S. MODEL 1843 HALL CARBINE REPLACEMENT STOCK- MINT UNISSUED! - Made by Simeon North circa 1843-1847, these could be (with minor modification to adapt to the latch mechanism) used on any of the Hall carbines made by North. Mint, unissued from the estate of a very advanced, older collector. The precision of the workmanship on this is remarkable, showing the impact of the manufacturing process that yielded 100% interchangeable parts made by machinery. Somewhat aged darkened and dirty, with only a couple of tiny storage bumps or blemishes. Perfect for restoration of that Hall Carbine, or could even be modified for use on a rifle by piecing the old rifle forend under the lower band. It has been more than 25 years since I have seen any of these loose. Peter Schmidt’s “Hall Military Breechloaders” discusses these on page 134. $550.00 (View Picture)

16868 U.S. CIVIL WAR SMITH SADDLE RING CARBINE- SUPERB MINT, BEAUTIFUL! - Serial number 19629. This is as nice as they come and you cannot improve upon this one! And a rare variation for the advanced collector! The federal armies purchased 31,002 Smith carbines during the Civil War. They are a very simple, sturdy and reliable design. A plunger located ahead of the trigger is pushed up to disengage the flat spring latch that holds the carbine in the ready position, and then it simply folds in half, hinged below the chamber. The opens the chamber in the center, and a rubber (or sometimes brass) cartridge with a .50 caliber lead bullet at the front is loaded into the chamber and the barrel is snapped shut. The rear of the cartridge has a tiny hole in the back which allows the flash from a separately loaded percussion cap to reach the powder in the cartridge and fire it. With good ammunition this was a popular and reliable cavalry arm. However, some ammunition had holes a bit oversize and if carried with the bullet end up in the cartridge box, some of the powder would eventually drain out through the flash hole, so that cartridge may not fire properly (if at all). Smith carbines were used in all theaters of the war, with the Army of the Potomac, on the western campaigns, with Sherman to the Sea, and with troopers fighting the Sioux on the northern plains, and even a few were used by the Navy in the Mississippi flotilla. These are handsome carbines, with a deep blue barrel, color case hardened receivers, and blued trigger guards. Buttplate and band are dull gray, not color cased or blued. On this example about 99% of each remains, with a small patch of rust on the heel of the buttplate, and a tiny amount of finish loss where the saddle ring had rubbed the receiver. Bore as nice as the outside. The walnut stock is about perfect with only a few of the most minute handling and storage dings or bruises present and appears to have an old varnish finish rather than the usual mere dipping in linseed oil. Letter B stamped on the left barrel flat, and on the right side of the stock at the wrist and tiny letters GP(?) on the left side of the wrist. The normal military inspector cartouches were LFR on the barrel flat and script JH and LFR in ovals on the stock. This almost certainly makes this one of the few Smith carbines sold commercially via Schuyler, Hartley & Graham in 1864, as mentioned in Flayderman’s description. In any case, it is just an utterly superb example of this great gun for someone looking for a beautiful example and the commercial sale feature is an added feature that may delight the truly advanced collector. $4750.00 (View Picture)

16876 U.S. MODEL 1892 KRAG RIFLE (UNMODIFIED!) RESTORATION PROJECT -
Serial number 8115 made in 1895. This is an exceptional find! Among the scarcest of all U.S. martial small arms are the Model 1892 Krag rifles which had the cleaning rod under the barrel. Only 24,562 were made before they began making the Model 1896, and there was an aggressive, long term campaign to recall and convert Model 1892 rifles to the 1896 configuration. Virtually all the M1892 rifles saw service during the Spanish American war, with normal attrition there. Based on over 20 years collecting U.S. arms, I see unmodified M1892 Krags as infrequently as M1903 Rod bayonet Springfields and about as often as Gas Trap Garands or Pedersen devices. My guess is that perhaps 50 or so examples of each of these scarce models are in private hands, with maybe the same number in museums. This is an unrestored rifle that escaped modification to M1896, but got molested by Bubba so he would use it as a deer rifle. The action has NOT been modified for the hold open notch, and it has the correct matching numbers on the sideplate, gate and follower. Ejector pin is the correct later round type. The barrel is the correct original unmodified M1892 type with flat (uncrowned) muzzle and the original M1892 front sight blade (with wider lower part than the sighting part of the blade) still in place. Bore has strong but worn rifling, and is dirty with little roughness, about average for a Krag. The bolt assembly is a later M1898 type but M1892 bolts are not too hard to find (except for the square back cocking piece and the extractor without the hold open pin). Safety is missing. The flat tab on the bottom of the hinge pin is broken off, but the pin is the same for all Krags and easily replaced. Metal parts have some blue and the receiver is mix of blue, silver-gray, etc and I suspect that Bubba touched things up with some cold blue, but no polishing or anything real bad. The stock is the correct original M1892 stock with the channel and hole for the cleaning rod in (what is left of) the forend. It may be possible to salvage this, even though the forend has been rounded off at the lower band shoulder, and rounded on the edges where the handguard fits. A good wood worker can build a new forend, and piece it in about 2 inches back from the lower band, and possibly add strips above the grasping grooves. This work would be justified as the rest of the stock is good, including the original flat butt (not the curved toe as modified in 1896) with the correct original flat (solid- no trap) buttplate still in place. Finding an original unmodified M1892 Krag stock is probably impossible, so it is best to try to salvage this one. There is a small chip in the toe, visible in the photos. Faint traces of a cartouche, and a “J” which was an early arsenal inspection marking, but I forget which one. Based on the scarcity of original M1892 rifles, this rifle, when restored, will make a good filler in a collection unless you get very rich and very lucky and find a totally correct original. $1550.00 (View Picture)

16738 BRITISH INDIA PATTERN 1842 .75 CALIBER PERCUSSION SMOOTHBORE MUSKET - This is a very close copy of the regulation British Army Model 1842 musket, the main difference being the addition of the hook or grip on the trigger guard, much like those used on some of the rifles of the period, while the regulation Army pattern just had the guard and a straight tang. This has the .75 caliber smoothbore barrel 39 inches long, held to the stock by three flat keys and the upper swivel screw and tang screw. (Tang screw is missing). This has the standard fixed rear sight and the front sight/bayonet lug. Barrel has London proofs. Barrel has a smooth brown patina. Bore is dark and rusty, but not heavily pitted. Lock has the East India Company rampant lion marking. Lock has some staining and patina mixed with dull steel gray color. The full length stock is solid, and seems heavier that expected, so it may be a replacement made of teak or some species other than English walnut. Small age crack .in the raised area behind the lockplate. Loock seems to function properly. Only markings other than the barrel proofs and lock plate lion are several numbers[?] in local script scratched onto the forend tip, trigger guard and stock. These 1842 smoothbores were the standard infantry arm, and also used by the East India Company raised colonial forces until replaced by the rifled Pattern 1853 arms. The latter, using the greased Minie ball ammunition resulted in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Although many other factors were involved (caste system, dislike of British rule, regional hatred, and religious hatred) the spark was provided by the issue of the Pattern 1853 Enfields. Rumors were spread that the bullets were greased with lard (pig fat) or beef fat, thereby offending Moslems and/or Hindus respectively. At that time there were some 400,000 colonial troops and only 40,000 British troops in India, the former mostly armed with the Model 1842 or earlier muskets. Within about 2 years the British put down the revolt and regained control of India. Overall, a big, handsome, old looking musket of the type that was instrumental in ensuring English control over much of their vast empire. This is probably one of the guns which came back from the arsenal palace in Nepal. $725.00 (View Picture)

16737 U.S. MODEL 1843 HALL-NORTH BREECHLOADING PERCUSSION SADDLE RING CARBINE - Also known as the “side lever” model as this used a nifty lever on the right side to open the breech block instead of a catch located underneath the stock. These were .52 caliber smoothbores, made as percussion arms, not converted from flintlock. About 10,500 of these were made between 1844 and 1853 and they were widely used in the Mexican War, and by the Dragoons and Cavalry in the West prior to the Civil War. During the Civil War, the smoothbore breechloaders were used by a number of units, at least until replaced by better arms. These were all .52 caliber smoothbore arms. However, this is one of the 5,000 standard M1843 carbines in unused condition that were sold as surplus by the Ordnance Department in June 1861 for $3.50 each. Speculators grabbed them, rifled the barrels and enlarged the chambers to .590” so a regular .575” diameter Minie ball could be loaded in the breech. Theoretically, the .58 caliber ammunition would achieve greater velocity when forced down the .527” diameter bore. That sounds unlikely to me, but the .58 ammunition apparently worked well enough that there were no complaints beyond the usual gripes about the blast from the joint between the breech and the barrel. Less than two months after the guns were sold as surplus, General John C. Fremont, the old western explorer who was desperate for arms for the armies being raised in Missouri and the west, purchased 5,000 of the modified carbines at $22.00 each, providing a tidy profit for the speculators. Although Fremont had been unable to get arms from the Ordnance Department, as all available arms were needed by the Army of the Potomac after their defeat at Bull Run, there was enough stink raised that the purchase resulted in Fremont’s firing. Despite the notoriety of the “Hall Carbine Affair” these rifled Model 1843 carbines filled an urgent need and served with various units, mainly militia forces until the end of the Civil War, both against the Confederates and in the skirmishes with the Sioux in Kansas and Iowa. (Units included the 4th Arkansas; 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 10th Illinois; 1st Indiana; 4th and 5th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. Also, the 2nd Battalion Militia, 6th Militia, and 10th Militia of Missouri; and the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 10th Missouri Volunteers. And, the 8th and 9th New York; 2nd Wisconsin; and 3rd and 4th U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. When these militia units mustered out in 1865, that ended the history of the Hall breechloading arms by the U.S. military. Although not a perfect design, their system of 100% interchangeable parts manufacture helped pave the way for adoption of other breechloaders and cartridge arms at a time when the Ordnance Department stubbornly clung to the cheaper and simpler to operate muzzle loading arms. (See Peter Schmidt’s “Hall Military Breechloaders” pages 145-150 for more info on these arms and their use.) This example is one that has seen a lot of hard use, as is typical of nearly all of the “Fremont purchased” carbines, but is complete and original (in the rifled configuration). The markings are not visible on the breechblock, but should have been U.S./ S. North / Midltn, Conn/ date. The metal parts are a mix of smooth brown patina, dull steel gray and light roughness or pitting. Bore shows the rifling well, although it is dark and rough. The stock has the usual dings and scars of a well used cavalry arm. Initials JR[?] lightly carved on left side of butt and “W” on the bottom of the stock near the butt. Traces of a cartouche on left stock flat behind the receiver. Small age crack on left side of stock adjacent to the breechblock. A good representative example of the Hall breechloading system, and one that actually was issued and well used, with the neat story of the Hall Carbine Affair as added history. $1595.00 (View Picture)

16872 CIVIL WAR BURNSIDE SADDLE RING CARBINE “MODEL 1864” –SUPERB- MUSEUM QUALITY! - Serial number 15333, .54 caliber. This is the so-called “fifth model” made starting in 1863 (even though marked Model 1864) which added the guide screw in the side of the frame for smoother opening of the breech. This clever design was that of a Rhode Island Governor and a poor General in the Union Army, Ambrose E. Burnside, whose luxuriant whiskers gave rise to the term “sideburns.” This simple and sturdy design uses a lever to open the breech which hinges downward, exposing the chamber in the breechblock (somewhat like the old Hall breechloaders). These used a metallic cartridge that was tapered toward the rear, so it would slip into the chamber, and the front of the cartridge had a large rounded belt which sealed the joint between the breechblock and the barrel as it was closed. The back of the cartridge had a small hole and it was ignited by a standard percussion cap applied to an external nipple. Although it was externally primed, the first Burnsides entered service in 1862, becoming the first regular issue U.S. arm using a metallic cartridge (albeit externally primed). Eventually about 55,000 were used by the Union Army with only the Sharps and Spencer being more widely used. Burnsides first saw action at the battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in 1861, in the hands of Col. Burnside’s own 1st Rhode Island Infantry, allegedly the first Union regiment to flee the field. Other versions of the Burnside continued in use throughout the war right up to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. John McAulay’s superb “U.S. Military Carbines” has lots more on the various campaigns in which they saw action. Burnsides in this serial number range are recorded as being in the hands of Cavalry units by August, 1863, but records do not differentiate between the earlier models and the later models which repeated serial numbers, that may reflect earlier models rather than this one, but in any case this model was used by many units in the final 2 years of the war. S&S Firearms sells reproduction cartridge cases for these, and some people still shoot them. (Note- We sell all guns as collector items only and they must be approved by a competent gunsmith prior to firing.) Overall this is about as nice an example of the Burnside as you are likely to find. The color case hardening is simply beautiful, even on the buttplate, along with the high gloos blue on the latch and the block. The low-luster blue (officially termed “browning”) on the barrel and some other parts is nearly all present. There is a bit of finish wear on high points, a lot on the lower tang where the hand grasps the wrist of the stock, and a spot (about 3/8” diameter) of heavy rust on the back of the hammer. There are a few flecks of rust freckle or finish flaking here and there, but overall this is just a really great example of a very important Civil War saddle ring carbine. The unsanded wood has the raised grain of an unissued martial arm, crisp (albeit double struck) inspector cartouche, and a handful of very minor pressure dents on the left side of the butt that are almost not worth mentioning. This is from a very advanced collection, being sold to help put someone through college, otherwise the previous owner would not part with it. ANTIQUE, no FFL needed. $4250.00 (View Picture)

13922 U.S. Harpers Ferry Model 1795 (type III) flintlock musket dated 1814 - This is a very unusual gun, which was originally a typical Type III musket with a 44-45 inch .69 caliber barrel made at Harpers Ferry. However, during its period of use, it had a salvaged Brown Bess .75 caliber barrel installed, 44 ¾” long, with English proof marks and a faint LONDON on the top. The moulding rings at the breech were filed or ground off and some other minor fitting was done to barrel and stock to make them work. The wear patterns for the barrel show that it has been mated to this stock and band spacing for a very long time, so this is not just a parts gun assembled in recent years. One can speculate that it may have been hurriedly assembled around the time the British captured Washington and burned the Capitol on August 24, 1814, using whatever parts could be salvaged from muskets returned from the front, perhaps at Harpers Ferry but more likely other locations. Afterwards it would probably have been issued for militia service. The left stock flat has a faint V over two illegible initials at the very rear, the typical inspectors cartouches. There is another faint script marking immediately behind the rear lock screw but it is also illegible, probably a cartouche from time of original manufacture. Near the tail of the flat is a deeply stuck CP which is probably a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania property marking related the period after the barrel was replaced. The stock appears unsanded since it left service, but there is a an age crack on the butt and another along the upper rear edge of the lock, but neither is in danger of spreading. The ramrod is about 2.5 inches short, but is a period piece. The middle band is an incorrect replacement and the tit is broken off the middle band spring. Metal parts have a mix of smooth brown patina with areas of rougher rust and the barrel has a lot of light pitting under the old patina. Original flintlock, not a reconversion. A good representative example of a War of 1812 musket, and the type of makeshift repairs that were done to provide arms to troops at that time. Good mechanics, and swivels are intact (although the band swivel is part of the replaced middle band). $1995.00 (View Picture)

16708 U.S. Model 1898 .30-40 Krag SADDLE RING CARBINE (Restoration Project) - Serial number 113962. made in 1898. This is an original M1898 carbine with the short M1896 style stock, but without the beveled area around the bolt handle, so it is definitely the M1898 carbine stock, not a cut down rifle stock. The serial number is close to some documented carbines, but data is extremely sparse, and mixed with rifle numbers when these were made during the hectic days of the Spanish American War right after the switch from the M1896 to the M1898 models. Although Flayderman reports the serial number range on the M1898 carbines as between 125,000 and 135,000, the SRS research in official documents has turned up references to them between about 112,800 and 139,000. Unfortunately, Bubba’s old deer carbine was not shooting as well as he liked, so his local gunsmith installed a new barrel on it, made from a M1903 barrel, as was the case with thousands of Krags in the 1920s-1950s. But the good news is that the bore is excellent, and the length is 22.5 inches instead of the regulation 22 inches, so it could be dressed up a bit at the muzzle after you remove the ramp type sight. Action has been buffed lightly and reblued nicely. Stock is excellent at first glance, with faint but legible JSA/1898 cartouche and circle P. However, close inspection reveals that it is cracked on the right side down into the butt, and another back from the trigger guard into the butt. This is clean, dry wood and will be very easy to repair with a bit of glue or epoxy. Another crack in the usual Krag weak area on the right side back from the magazine inletting. One large scrape about 1” x ¾” on lower right side of the butt, otherwise just the expected assorted minor dings and scrapes of an issued arm. Unlike so many carbine stocks, this one has NOT been drilled for sling swivels. Rear sight is the correct M1896 style, but it is marked with the rifle graduations, not the slightly different markings for a carbine. No barrel band, but S&S has repros available, and they also have repro M1896 carbine type handguards. The saddle ring has been removed, but the bar is intact. With a bit of stock repair work, addition of a band and handguard and reworking the barrel to add a correct style front sight and trimming the length this can be a good representative example of the scarce M1898 Krag carbine. Only about 5,000 were originally made, and most of those were later updated with the longer M1899 carbine stocks to be used with the later M1898/1901/1902 model rear sights. A correct M1898 carbine is an extremely scarce gun, and seldom found on the market. While it would be nice to have a 100% correct original, this will fill that gap in your collection at a bargain price. ANTIQUE, NO FFL NEEDED. $795.00 (View Picture)

16450 Scarce Swedish Model 1867/1868/1885 Artillery Carbine- Remington Rolling Block type- - Serial number 385. (We believe the correct model designation is above, but one expert advised it is Model 1864.1867/1885) Originally made by Carl Gustav state rifle factory in 1869 as indicated by the crown/C over 1869 on the right side of the receiver. These were license-built copies of the Remington design. The original design called for rimfire ammunition, but the Swedes quickly modified the design (and subsequent manufacture) to use centerfire ammunition in 12.4 x 42mm rimmed caliber, sometimes called 12 x 44mm rimmed.. That is nearly identical to the U.S. .50-70 cartridge but a bit shorter case and slightly smaller rim diameter. The most common of the Swedish Rolling blocks were the long barrel infantry rifles. Although usually called “artillery” carbines, these were also issued to the equivalent of pioneer/combat engineer type units. These were made in 1885 by shortening and refitting existing infantry rifles so that the barrel is only 18 inches long, held by a single band. New sights were fitted, graduated from 250 to 800 meters. Tiny letters JG and JP stamped across the barrel at the breech. A cleaning rod is secured under the barrel. The buttplate is brass, and the stock is inlet for a unit marking disc. The discs were made of pewter and are usually missing, as is the case with this one. The bore is beautiful, bright and sharp with an unusual shape to the lands. Just a few very minor tiny dings here and there. About 95-97% of the blue finish remains on the barrel and band. Little finish on the band swivel. Receiver retains about 80% of the color case hardening. Cleaning rod is finished bright. Stock may have been cleaned (arsenal probably) long ago as the serial number on the left side of the forend is very faint. The hammer pin is numbered 70 so it may have been switched at some point. Otherwise 100% correct, original and matching. These little carbines are very scarce, and this is the only one we have actually handled. A great addition for the Swedish arms collector to go with the numerous Mauser and Ljungman rifles out there. $1495.00 (View Picture)

14926 U.S. MODEL 1877 .45-70 SPRINGFIELD TRAPDOOR CARBINE (restored) - Serial number 126205 made early in 1880, the year that nearly 15,000 carbines were made. There is no data for this specific serial number, but it is in a range that is almost exclusively carbines, including many issued to Indian Scouts in 1885 or one of the regular cavalry regiments in 1886. However, that provides no verifiable history on this one, only opportunities for tantalizing speculation. This one has been arsenal updated at some point, accounting for the 1884 dated breechblock, grooved trigger, and Buffington sight. Subsequently the barrel was replaced with a cut down rifle barrel, probably by a civilian owner. However, the stock, buttplate, trigger guard and saddle ring bare all appear original to the receiver and each other and are correct carbine parts. The saddle ring itself was missing and a repro has been added. The rear sight is a correct M1884 Buffington marked ”C” for carbine on the ladder. The barrel shows wear pattern that indicated a M1890 sight protector band had been installed for a long time. The barrel, however, is a rifle barrel that has been cut to the proper length and even tapered at the muzzle, but the crown is not quite correct and the front sight (a correct original carbine base and blade) were silver soldered in place, but it is not quite the invisible fit of original Springfield Armory workmanship. From a few feet away it is convincing, and a couple drops of black paint to hide the tiny solder seam would make it hard to detect. Bore is fine to excellent with sharp lands and just a bit of very minor roughness in the grooves. Metal parts with about 60-70% original (or arsenal overhaul) blue, mixed with, and turning plum. Walnut stock does not have any cartouches and is probably a field replacement which is quite common as many carbine stocks were broken in service. There is a small hole near the butt, probably from a soling swivel that could be easily filled. There is a crack on the tip forward of the bandspring caused by the larger diameter rifle barrel being pressed into the stock which was inlet for the more rapidly tapering carbine barrel. The barrel band hides a small hole where a previous band had been secured with a pin or screw- nothing exciting, but we don’t want you to be surprised. The is a strip about an inch wide and 7 inches long on the right side of the forend where the wood color is lighter than the rest of the stock- not sapwood, but some sort of bleaching from sunlight or chemicals. It could be blended in with stain if you wanted to do that. Overall, this is a good representative M1877 .45-70 “trapdoor” carbine that is mostly correct, and not just a chopped down rifle that someone tried to fake into a carbine. If the barrel was correct, the price would be about 50% higher, so this is a significant saving for a collector eager to save some money and willing to accept a bit lesser quality item. It displays well, and had been on loan to a museum exhibit on the Cavalry in the West for several months last year. $1300.00 (View Picture)

16295 CIVIL WAR MAYNARD SADDLE RING CARBINE (Second Model) - Serial number 19668, these are a very clever design with a simple and strong locking mechanism. These used a .50 caliber brass cartridge case with a brass disc soldered to the base as a rim. A small hole in the center of the base allowed the flash from the external percussion cap to fire the case. A total of about 5,000 of the “First Model” Maynard carbine were made, with a patchbox in the butt and using the Maynard tape primer which was a big fad circa 1858 when these were first made. The “Second Model” eliminated the patchbox and Maynard primer and about 20,202 of these were delivered for use in the Civil War, with serial numbers running consecutively through both models. The Maynards were popular due to their light weight and simple operation, although not reaching the field until the 1864, serving mainly in the western theater. John McAulay’s superb “U.S. Military Carbines” has lots more on the various campaigns in which they saw action. The Maynard design continued in production after the Civil War for the commercial market, but with modifications to replace the nipple with a firing pin to allow use of regular metallic cartridges. The Civil War Maynard carbines were made by the Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. That firm was incorporated in 1851 and included Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson (later to become Smith & Wesson); Joshua Stevens of Stevens Arms, and J.T. Ames of Ames Manufacturing Company, really the core of the American arms industry. This one is a real “diamond in the rough” that has been poorly stored and needs a careful cleaning to be a really great gun. The walnut stock is excellent with sharp inspector cartouches and only a couple of tiny, insignificant handling blemishes. The metal parts retain about 95%+ original blue finish but there are lots of light surface rust freckles that have accumulated and should come off with a careful cleaning without much loss or damage to the blue underneath. A little bit of heavier rust on the heel of the buttplate, on the bottom of the lever and one spot on the bottom of the barrel (about 3/8” diameter). The bore is excellent, bright and sharp. When cleaned, this will be a really great example of this historic design. ANTIQUE, no FFL needed. $2495.00 (View Picture)

16360 Swiss Model 1878 .41 rimfire (10.38 x 38Rmm) Vetterli Rifle (NICE!) - (Repetier-Gewehr 1878) Serial number 153629. Receiver marked "[cross]Waffenfabrik/Bern/153629/M.78" with matching numbers on other parts. Metal parts with about 98-99% original blue finish on most parts. Excellent medium brown color walnut stock with good cartouches and nice old oil finish with only a couple tiny storage bruises. There is a crack (about 6” long) on the left side of the forend just above the escutcheon but it does not affect strength and can be ignored or easily fixed if you want to. This is the standard Swiss Infantry rifle, a bolt action tubular magazine (12 round) repeating rifle from the period when we were still fussing with single shot flopdoor fusils. Admittedly the .45-70 cartridge was good for long ranges, while the .41 rimfire was a pretty puny load. Bore in the 33 inch barrel is sharp and mirror bright, and overall workmanship reflects the legendary Swiss precision workmanship. Upper band has stud on right side for sword bayonet, but these could also use a socket bayonet with a cruciform blade. Complete with the original cleaning rod, which is usually missing from these rifles. These were made between 1879 and 1881. An extremely handsome example of 130 year old rifle! Antique, no FFL needed. $950.00 (View Picture)

16297 CIVIL WAR MERRILL SADDLE RING CARBINE, 1ST MODEL, .54 caliber - Serial number 6827, matching. Only about 14,495 Merrills were procured during the Civil War, apparently a few more of this first model than the second which omitted the brass patchbox used a different latch. James H. Merrill of Baltimore, MD, was a serious firearms inventor, although certainly not an inventive genius. Besides the two Civil War models of the “Merrill” carbine, he was also involved with an 1855 Merrill, Latrobe & Thomas carbine which saw 170 procured by the Army before they decided they were unfit for service. Merrill was next involved with the 1858 modifications by the Navy where they altered some 300 of their breechloading Jenks carbines using a Merrill modification to allow use of a paper cartridge instead of loose ball and powder. The design of the Merrill offered here is his most successful attempt, where a long lever pivoting at the wrist and latched by the rear sight base, cannot be opened unless the hammer is at half cock. Lifting or closing the lever moves a piston back and forth in line with the axis of the barrel, opening or sealing a slot for insertion of a paper (or paper/foil) cartridge. The face of the piston has a copper disc attached to help seal the breech. Ignition is by standard musket cap on the nipple. These are handsome arms, with the brass furniture and the case-hardened finish on the lever/latch and lockplate, blued rear sight and trigger and bright finished barrel. This is a gently used weapon that has assorted minor dings and bruises, but nothing significant beyond what is mentioned here. There is some scattered very light roughness/pitting on the lockplate and hammer mainly from the mercuric caps used then. The barrel is a dull steel gray with some rusted areas near the muzzle and one or two other small rust spots. The brass has a mellow aged tone. The walnut stock is pretty nice and solid except for a hairline age crack on the left side extending forward from the tang, and a nearby small (1/4”) gouge that was filled and almost overlooked. Brass buttplate has some dings from use pounding something long ago. The bore is generally sharp and bright but there are 4 or 5 medium to large rusted areas towards the muzzle that may improve somewhat with a good cleaning, but probably not much. The rear sight is missing the small leaf (100-300 yards) but appears to be the same as standard M1861 sight so it would be easy to replace. There are light scratchings on the patch box, but not sure if it is a name or doodling. No documented history is available on this specific serial number, but others in the same general range were reported in the hands of cavalry regiments in June 1863, and again in January 1865, mainly Kentucky regiments. Other outfits which used Merrills included some from New York, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. John McAulay’s superb “U.S. Military Carbines” has lots of info on these, and all other types of carbines as far as how well the troops liked them, and their performance in various battles. A very good plus, gently used veteran that will look better after a good overall cleaning, as it has been in an attic for about 15-20 years where an heir disinterested in guns had stored it. ANTIQUE, no FFL needed. $3500.00 (View Picture)

16348 New England Percussion .69 caliber Percussion Militia Musket (circa 1830-1840) - Probably made in Massachusetts or Maine, where militia laws were pretty well enforced, and arms of this type were common, both as privately owned and as state provided items. This conforms to the general specification of the federal Militia Act of 1792 calling for each man between the ages of 18 and 45 to provide themselves with a musket taking 18 balls to the pound (.69 caliber) and fitted for a bayonet. This one was probably made using a barrel salvaged from an old military musket as it has the top stud for a socket bayonet and is 41 inches long. The walnut stock is sturdy, and typical of the area and period as far as shape. The mountings are brass, with the typical New England side plate, made for two lock screws but with the forward hole filled by a nail since only one lock screw is used with the present lock. The trigger guard has the typical acorn finial, and the buttplate has a long thin tang. The percussion lock is marked I.L. MOORE/Warranted, and was made as percussion, not converted from flint. It is a sporting rifle size lock, again, typical for these militia muskets, and uses a drum arrangement for the nipple. The mainspring is weak but the lock will function. There are three brass ramrod pipes and a brass forend tip. The ramrod is an old wooden one that fits well, and may or may not be original. The walnut stock has neatly done checkering at the wrist and a mellow old patina overall with very few dings or nicks. The brass parts have a heavy chocolate brown patina. The iron parts have a smooth brown patina. Overall this is a nice “old gun” that would be a great decorative feature for a house decorated in the period 1800-1850. As a collector piece, it is a good example of the type of arm that many militia men carried, while others mustered with whatever guns were available, some better, many worse, and some totally useless. Militia musters were required by law twice a year, but for the most part were little more than an excuse for drunken revelry after a few hours of martial maneuvers, or arguing over elections of officers. Still, the spirit of freedom, individual responsibility and independence which were hallmarks of our great nation in those days is worth remembering and honoring. Especially at a time when freedom is being stifled and the dictates of the nanny state and socialist redistribution of the assets of hard working people to the indolent and ignorant is taking hold. It is well to remember our militia heritage and contemplate the real reason for the Second Amendment. The history lesson is free, but the musket is $650.00 (View Picture)

16217 Brazilian Model 1894 7 x 57mm Mauser Carbine (scarce) - Serial number 3774, mismatched. (Stock has a matching number, but in my opinion it was restamped recently). These scarce carbines were reportedly made by Loewe, DWM or FN from 1894 to 1901. Even Robert Ball’s definitive study Mauser Military Rifles of the World (4th edition) does not have a good production figure, but they are scarce, and this is the first I have seen in at least 20 years. Brazil adopted a minor variation of the Spanish Model 1893 rifle in 1894, and then in later years adopted successively more modern Mauser designs. This is a scarce model missing from most collection of South American military arms. Condition is about what you would expect for an arms issued to the cavalry where it would slap against sweaty horses, or spend months patrolling in the steaming jungles of the Amazon rain forest. The metal has some light roughness but no heavy pitting and may have had some touch up done on the dark blue/black/patina/gray finish. Parts numbers are mixed, but all in similar condition. Bore is dark with moderate rifling, and probably fair at best. Walnut stock has assorted nicks and dings and stains. The cavalry swivel on the wrist is intact, and there is a sling slot in the butt that may be original, or a later arsenal alteration. Good clear markings, which have been highlighted with white filler, which may have been done by the importer as the photo provided by Century for Ball’s book is of a carbine in similar condition with the white filler. A rare opportunity to own a scarce Mauser model. $750.00 (View Picture)

15816 ARGENTINE MODEL 1891 MAUSER RIFLE (NICE!) - Serial Number K9553 matching throughout, including the cleaning rod. These are 7.65x53mm Mauser caliber (sometimes called 7.65mm Argentine Mauser). These are important milestones as the first of many Mauser models adopted by various South American countries. Marked on the left side of the receiver "MAUSER MODELO ARGENTINO 1891/ MANUFACTURA LOEWE BERLIN" Receiver ring has the crest ground off, per Argentine law after some Argentine rifles showed up in a neighboring country's guerilla forces. Loewe later merged with the Mauser brothers to form Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM). This rifle is in excellent plus condition, showing just a couple of extremely minor storage dings plus some tiny scars alongside the buttplate. Bolt retains nearly 100% of its original bright polished finish. Other parts with about 98-99% original brilliant blue finish, except where the receiver crest was removed. Stock is a very pleasing medium brown colored walnut with some nice tiger stripe figure and legible cartouches. This is one of 15,000 made by Loewe in 1895. From an old pre-1968 collection and not defaced by any import markings. This is among the very best of the M1891 Argentine rifles we have had in years. The bore is in the same superb condition as the exterior. These are usually found in nice condition, but often with mismatched parts. South American military rifles are an attractive collecting specialty, with a wide number of examples, either limited to Mausers alone, or including all types. Most are still pretty reasonably priced, although it may take a while to find some variations, especially in decent condition. (We highly recommend Robert Ball's Mauser Military Rifles of the World to learn more, or Colin Webster’s definitive Argentine Mauser Rifles for the 1891-1909 models and their variants and accessories.) ANTIQUE- no FFL needed. $725.00 (View Picture)

4143 U.S. Model 1884 .45-70 Springfield "trapdoor rifle"- lots of finish- great bore - Serial number 445028- Metal is in great condition with about 90% color case hardening on the breechblock and tang, and about 90% original blue on the other parts. However, this came from the old Stembridge Gun Rental collection and was probably rented for use in some of the movies where these were placed in the hands of various extras and bit actors who made up the vast armies in virtually all of the Civil War and cowboy theme movies. Unfortunately, the Hollywood riff-raff did not care much about guns then (especially when they could buy brand new trapdoors by the case for about $25 per rifle!). As a result of heroic battle scenes or mere carelessness, the stock has picked up a lot of minor, some medium and two major dings. Large ones are on left side of stock just below the rear lock screw, and a gouge out of the lower left side on the forend behind the lower band. With some careful soaking, steaming, and a light sanding and some filler in the two big boo boos this will be a very handsome specimen. SWP/1889 cartouche is mostly visible and good circle P. Bore is about excellent but needs a good cleaning. Excellent mechanics. Comes with a sling that is from some foreign rifle, but sort of looks like a trapdoor sling. M1884 Buffington rear sight has a piece broken off the bottom of the slide (S&S has repro slides for $35). Overall a god looking rifle as is, and it will look better with the stock fixed up a little and be an excellent representative example of the classic Indian War era .45-70 “Trapdoor” with an interesting Hollywood connection to boot. $895.00 (View Picture)

15080 "Custer Range" U.S. Model 1873 .45-70 Trapdoor Carbine - Serial number 21264 made at Springfield Armory in 1874, long before Custer’s June 25, 1876 unsuccessful foray against the Sioux at the Little Big Horn. At least eleven carbines with serial numbers in the 21,000 range are listed as unserviceable arms turned in by Benteen and Jackson in the 2nd Quarter of 1877, and three other nearby numbers were recovered at Slim Buttes, so this is in a primary Custer range. Although there is no proof that this one was there, or even nearby, it is nice to be able to get one with even the slim possibility. U.S. military arms are not made at arsenals and then set aside for collectors to “ooh and ahh” over a hundred years later. The guns are made to arm the troops to go out and kill the enemy. Once issued, they are eventually returned and, as needed, they are repaired or updated and sent back out to be used some more. While it is nice to find totally original and unaltered arms, those which have seen service and have been updated are also fine collector pieces. This trapdoor carbine was made in 1874, and still retains the original barrel with no proof marks, and it is a genuine carbine barrel, not a cut down rifle barrel. The bore is about good, with the shallow rifling well worn, but otherwise not bad. The remaining parts are of mixed vintages, the result of later overhauls, or perhaps parts switching by owners after it left military service. The lock is not dated 1873, and the breechblock is a slightly later M8173 with the “low arch” but still the narrow width. Guard bow is genuine carbine type with no provisions for a sling swivel. The rear sight is the M1884 Buffington type, with the “C” for carbine marking, and the 1890 sight protector band is used. The Buttstock is a later M1877 type with the trap in the butt for the tools, and the long comb, and the wide inletting for the M1877 and later receivers which were a bit wider, but the narrow receiver fits in them with just a slight gap on the sides. It has two excellent cartouches, SWP/1880 and SWP/1890 and also two good circle P proof marks behind the trigger guard. I am not sure of the meaning of the double cartouches, but suspect it may be addressed in Al Frasca’s excellent research. The saddle ring bar is original, but I believe the ring is an old replacement that looks a bit thin to me. The metal parts have a consistent smooth mostly brown patina with scattered hints of a plum tone. No real rust or pitting, just finish turned to patina. The butt trap has an original M1877 ruptured cartridge extractor, and a three piece cleaning rod. I think the latter is a reproduction, but it is hard to tell on these. If you wanted to return this closer to the original configuration, it would not be hard to find a 1873 dated lock, and early hammer and M1873 carbine rear sight and band. Of course, finding a real M1873 stock will be nearly impossible, but some people do win the lottery and maybe you will get lucky too. We have had a half dozen other trapdoor carbines, but this is the first “Custer range” gun we have had. This is from a very advanced collector who is thinning his collection out a bit. $4950.00 (View Picture)

1087 MODEL 1892 .30-40 KRAG RIFLE PROJECT - Serial number 23399 with good JSA 1895 cartouche. This is an ongoing restoration project of mine which needs to have a forend made to finish it up, and a M1892 handguard (original or repro), a magazine cutoff and a M1896 front sight blade. This is an UNMODIFIED M1892 stock (although cut off at the band) and M1892 UNMODIFIED receiver which has never had the notch added for the bolt stop when M1892 rifles were upgraded to M1896 configuration. The barrel is a regular M1896 with the crowned muzzle (it was flat on the M1892). We include an upper band which has been modified to add a cleaning rod guide to duplicate the appearance of the ultra rare M1892 band. The stock has the correct straight toe, with the thin, no-trap buttplate and very good legible JSA 1895 and circle P. It also has the letter “J: near the cartouche, which I believe is a Span-Am era overhaul marking, but I do not know the location. Initials WFP lightly scratched on the bottom of the stock ahead of the trigger guard but not very noticeable. Correct oval head large buttplate screw, but like most Krags, the finish is gone from the buttplate. It does not have any of the usual cracks or damage in the action area, but is good and solid. It is cut at the lower band, but the end of the cleaning rod groove is clearly visible, and it was never enlarged for the 1896 filler strip. It had some ugly varnish stripped without harming the markings, and has the expected assorted minor dings and scrapes of an issued arm. Restoration of the stock would involve splicing a new forend piece in place, with a groove for the cleaning rod. This is not a hard job, but requires some patience and skill, and I have not had time to do it. No cleaning rod or handguard are included, but S&S sells nice repros. Front sight blade and magazine cutoff are easy to find. The action is marked on the left side 1894 SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 23399 and the receiver parts are a mix of gray, silver, black and dull steel colors. Bolt is dull steel gray color that matches nicely with the other parts. Bolt is the (scarce) correct type for this serial number range with the cut on the rib, and the gas escape hole located closer to the front like the earlier square rib bolts. Bolt sleeve is late 1892 type with pinned safety but not knurled. Extractor is a M1896 that has been altered to remove the bolt stop pin, so it looks like the M1892. Exposed parts of the barrel with about 85-90% blue turning plum. Barrel has some moderate pitting between the M1892 rear sight and the receiver that will be hidden by the handguard. Bore is dark and worn and rough, but no cavernous pitting. You could square off the muzzle face to end up with a very good approximation of the M1892 Krag appearance. Normally I would not encourage such extensive restorations, but the number of unmodified M1892 rifles is miniscule, and few collectors will ever be fortunate enough to own one, so this may be as close as you will get. Antique, no FFL needed. $1450.00 (View Picture)

14811 COMMIE BLOC "FENCING MUSKET" - Obviously patterned after the Mosin Nagant, but then altered with a block of wood resembling an AK style magazine added to the bottom, these were used for teaching bayonet fighting. The spring loaded tip can be depressed about 4 inches into the barrel, similar to a pogo stick. This is a fairly common approach, and I have seen fencing muskets with the same concept from Sweden and England as well. The U.S. used bayonets with passed spring steel blades, and later switched to "pugil sticks". Just collecting "fencing musket variations would be neat specialty with probably several dozen variations from all over the world to chase down. These may be East German as some are marked "MODELL 4.853" which sounds German to me. Overall excellent condition (except for some scattered light surface rust that should clean up). Complete with original excellent sling. Still legal in Kalifornia, but may be next on their ban list. Non-firearm, no FFL needed. Photo shows a typical example, but this is one we were going to keep and is nicer than the one in the photo. $95.00 (View Picture

13631 TRAPDOOR SPRINGFIELD FENCING MUSKET (TYPE IV) - Serial number 281480. (Flayderman 9A-394) Bayonet fighting was considered an essential skill prior to and during World War I. To avoid costly damage to newly adopted Model 1903 rifles (and the troops who would use them) the U.S. Army provided "fencing muskets". Obsolete .45-70 “trapdoor” Springfields cut to the same length as the Model 1903 rifle, with hammers, sights, and sharp corners removed. A flexible spring steel bayonet with a rounded tip was used. Early Fencing Muskets made between 1906 and 1909 used socket bayonets and are called “Type III” by collectors. About 10,000-12,000 of the later “Type IV” made between 1909 and 1916 using flat blade bayonets with two mounting rings, like this one. We often have the bayonets for these on the edged weapons page. This is in about average condition with numerous scars, nicks dings and gouges from hand to hand combat training. Sharp SWP/1880 cartouche and circle P show that good condition rifles were butchered to make fencing muskets. Sear, springs and bridle from the interior of the lock were stripped by previous owner. Barrels are supposed to be filled with lead, but it is often found removed, as is the case with this one. Bore has some crud at the muzzle that should clean up, and the rest is mirror bright! Breechblock camshaft ground flush at time of conversion, but someone out a small screw into the remains of the shaft so you can open the block to determine the full serial number. Stock has been drilled through in three places with 1/8” diameter holes, probably to facilitate mounting on a wall. Two of the holes are at the bandspring locations (and the springs removed). Other is in the butt visible in the photos, but all are easily plugged. If you want to risk being struck by lightning for desecrating a historic old gun, this could be turned into a reenactor “carbine” with a very little bit of work. The distance between the breech and the rear hole for the fencing bayonet is 21 inches, just an inch short of the 22 inch carbine barrel length. You would need some internal lock parts, hammer, cam latch, extractor, front sight and, if desired, a saddle ring and bar, nearly all available from S&S on our links page. A very unusual addition to a collection of M1903 Springfields, or trapdoors, or bayonets. In fact, there are a dozen or more different "fencing muskets" from various countries that would make an interesting collecting niche to pursue. $395.00 (View Picture)

12945 Italian M1870/87/16 6.5mm bolt action Vetterli-Mannlicher Rifle - Serial number XX1585 made in 1883 at Torre Annuziata arsenal, (which operated until about 1900). Originally made as a single shot Vetterli rifle firing the 10.35 x 47mm rimmed cartridge, the model 1870 rifles were altered in 1887 to add a Vitalli type box magazine, much like the Dutch and their Beaumont-Vitalli rifles. In WW1, shortages of arms led the Italians to further alter these rifles by lining the bore to use the 6.5x52mm Carcano cartridge and replacing the magazine with a Mannlicher type magazine. This conversion was only marginally safe for the old black powder loads, and they were generally issued to second line troops, or colonial infantrymen. Some of the rifles served with the Italian forces in North Africa in WW2, (those defeated by Haille Selassie's spear wielding Ethiopian tribesmen). Lug on side of barrel for sword/knife bayonet. Barrel flats marked TORRE ANNUZIATA/ 1883 on one side and serial number XX1585 on the other. Walnut stock has been lightly sanded during the period of it service and now has an old military oil finish. Large semi-legible roundel on the left side, probably from the time of last conversion. Right side has deeply struck serial number MT 3565. Metal parts with about 90-95% arsenal refinish on most parts, bolt finished bright, and just thin traces of blue on the magazine. Stock is sound and has only the expected handling and storage dings, nothing to get excited about. We have seen a number of these over the years and this is probably the best of them all, and the ONLY one we have ever seen complete with the cleaning rod. Good mechanics and dirty bore which may or may not clean up to be very good. (We definitely recommend that this rifle NOT be shot!) Unlike the later Mannlicher-Carcanos of WW2, these are not encountered very often. A good representative example of this important early European military bolt action rifle. Antique, no FFL needed. $325.00 (View Picture)

4340 U.S. M1866 .50-70 "Second Allin" Rifle - About 52,000 Model 1866 rifles were made at Springfield Armory between 1867 and 1869 by converting Model 1863 (Type 2) muskets. Musket barrels were bored out smooth then sleeved to .50 caliber and an opening cut in the breech for the hinged Allin breech block. The block and hinge had a black case hardened finish, the rear sight and trigger were blued, and remaining parts were finished bright. The Civil War stocks were internally altered to make room for the extractor and ejector mechanisms. These had a weak extractor mechanism and were not popular with troops. However, they proved the great value of the breechloader at the "Wagon Box fight" against the Indians in 1867. As the first widely issued breech loading centerfire infantry rifle made at Springfield and used by the U.S. Army, these are a major milestone for arms collectors. During the Franco-Prussian War about half of the Model 1866 rifles were sold to the French and later destroyed, making the number of surviving rifles about the same as the number of M1903A4 sniper rifles made. This is an excellent example that is uncleaned and will look better with a careful cleaning, unless you are one of the "I like original rust" types. The bore is excellent plus. Block and hinge retain about 50% of the darkened finish. Balance of metal parts motsly dull steel gray with some light staining or patina forming. One tiny patch of light pitting on the left side of the lower band and a bit of roughness around the outside of the muzzle where it rested in the blocks in an arms chest. The unsanded walnut stock is absolutely magnificent (except on area) with crisp sharp edges, and excellent circle P behind the trigger guard. No cartouches. Only a very few very minor handling or storage dings. However, there is one area about 1 inch square on the lower left side of the forend that must have been burned or gouged and was smoothed down many years ago. The rifle displays nicely anyway as this is on the side normally against the wall, but it is there and probably could not be filled in to make it less of a problem. Despite that this is a darn nice gun, among the top 10% of this model we have encountered over the years, and priced well below what it would be if it were perfect. Antique, No FFL needed. $1795.00 (View Picture)

**HOLD** 5651 WARD TAPE PRIMER CONVERSION OF M1816 MUSKET - Really scarce item, but really rough condition. (Flayderman 9A-269). This was a standard M1816 .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock musket made by Asa Waters in Milbury, Mass in 1826. The Ward conversion involved fitting a new percussion breech with a nipple, and installing a special hammer that had a small milled out section to hold Maynard type tape primers. When the hammer was cocked, a small star shaped wheel would feed a fresh primer section aligned for the hammer to hit on the nipple. Sources differ on total numbers produced, ranging from an estimated total of 151 to Flayderman's figure of maybe 300 on a New York state contract in 1857 and 100 more for federal use. In any case, I have only seen about 5 of these in my life (including those at Springfield and in the Fuller Collection). This example has the correct cone type front sight and unique rear sight but is missing the primer cavity door. All metal parts are heavily rusted, pitted, and pretty well frozen in place. Lock has two bright spots cleaned up to read the maker marks. Walnut stock is dark and weathered, but solid and has good traces of cartouches. Ramrod is not fully seated (sticks out about an inch past the muzzle). Undoubtedly a battlefield relic from the early days of the Civil War, or an item that languished in some barn for decades. Really rough, but really scarce. I was hoping to salvage the sight and some of the mechanism to restore the Ward in my collection, but decided to leave this one intact. Wish it were nicer, but seldom seen for sale in any condition. $995.00 (View Picture)

**STOLEN BY PERSON IN PORTLAND, OR AREA, or possibly a long haul trucker. $500 reward for return of this item or information leading to arrest and conviction of the thief, who got several other antique arms from other dealers by credit card fraud... $100 reward if you are first to spot this on an auction site.** 12036 U.S. MODEL 1863 TYPE II .58 CALIBER RIFLE MUSKET - Made at Springfield in 1864 and so marked on the lockplate. Barrel date not visible. Excellent bore. This is a good representative example of a .58 caliber Civil War musket, although not in the best condition. Basically a "brown gun" except for the trigger guard which has about 90-95% arsenal blue and must have been taken from a trapdoor (parts are identical except for being left bright on the M1855-1870 and blued on the M1873-1888 trapdoors. Otherwise all original and correct parts. Stock has been broken through he wrist and repaired long ago, but is not real tight and should be redone with epoxy which will make it stronger than the original wood. The stock has been sanded, but not badly. Metal parts (except trigger guard) mostly have a layer of brown patina/rust, with some light pitting under some areas, most notably around the nipple. Displays okay as is, or could be polished up with 320 emery cloth if you prefer the original bright look. The M1863 (type 2) which is sometimes called the M1864, was the highpoint in the development of the rifle musket for Infantry use, and the next year was replaced by the first of the Allin breechloding "trapdoors." The M1863 (Type 2) differed from the M1863 only in having the rounded bands retained by band springs instead of merely screw clamps. The M1863 differed from the M1861 which had flat bands retained by bandsprings, and the nipple bolster set out a bit further and having a clean out screw instead of an angled flash hole, and used a "swell" in the ramrod to hold it in place instead of a screw plate. All the .58 rifle muskets fired a 500 grain (little over 1 ounce) soft lead Minie ball with a hollow base. When the 60 grains of black powder was ignited by the flash from the percussion cap, the expanding gasses expanded the rear of the Minie ball to engage the rifling. Sights are provided for 100, 300 and 500 yards, but masses of troops could be engaged at ranges up to 1,000 yards. With a rate of fire of about 3 rounds per minute, and its long range, the .58 caliber rifle muskets forced dramatic changes in tactics from the massed formations used for the preceding several hundred years. Many collectors have a musket from the Civil War as a logical starting point for a collection of "modern" military rifles. This one comes with a good quality reproduction sling. Civil War muskets are getting more expensive but this one is affordable (due to the flaws) and has the potential to be much nicer after the stock has been repaired properly. $995.00 (View Picture)

Restoration Projects!

 For those of you who have thoughtfully stashed away some stocks and hardware (or stocks and bonds with which to invest in stocks and bands) here are some prime candidates for restoration. Some of these rifles were converted to sporters many years ago when no one was interested in collecting "surplus" military  rifles and everybody was busy turning them into cheap deer rifles. While many people butchered the stocks and cut off barrels and refinished things, a few considerate (or lazy) people merely chopped off the stock and threw away all the useless bands and stuff. These rifles are very easy to restore if you have an appropriate stock and bands.

**NEW ADDITION** 16876 U.S. MODEL 1892 KRAG RIFLE (UNMODIFIED!) RESTORATION PROJECT - Serial number 8115 made in 1895. This is an exceptional find! Among the scarcest of all U.S. martial small arms are the Model 1892 Krag rifles which had the cleaning rod under the barrel. Only 24,562 were made before they began making the Model 1896, and there was an aggressive, long term campaign to recall and convert Model 1892 rifles to the 1896 configuration. Virtually all the M1892 rifles saw service during the Spanish American war, with normal attrition there. Based on over 20 years collecting U.S. arms, I see unmodified M1892 Krags as infrequently as M1903 Rod bayonet Springfields and about as often as Gas Trap Garands or Pedersen devices. My guess is that perhaps 50 or so examples of each of these scarce models are in private hands, with maybe the same number in museums. This is an unrestored rifle that escaped modification to M1896, but got molested by Bubba so he would use it as a deer rifle. The action has NOT been modified for the hold open notch, and it has the correct matching numbers on the sideplate, gate and follower. Ejector pin is the correct later round type. The barrel is the correct original unmodified M1892 type with flat (uncrowned) muzzle and the original M1892 front sight blade (with wider lower part than the sighting part of the blade) still in place. Bore has strong but worn rifling, and is dirty with little roughness, about average for a Krag. The bolt assembly is a later M1898 type but M1892 bolts are not too hard to find (except for the square back cocking piece and the extractor without the hold open pin). Safety is missing. The flat tab on the bottom of the hinge pin is broken off, but the pin is the same for all Krags and easily replaced. Metal parts have some blue and the receiver is mix of blue, silver-gray, etc and I suspect that Bubba touched things up with some cold blue, but no polishing or anything real bad. The stock is the correct original M1892 stock with the channel and hole for the cleaning rod in (what is left of) the forend. It may be possible to salvage this, even though the forend has been rounded off at the lower band shoulder, and rounded on the edges where the handguard fits. A good wood worker can build a new forend, and piece it in about 2 inches back from the lower band, and possibly add strips above the grasping grooves. This work would be justified as the rest of the stock is good, including the original flat butt (not the curved toe as modified in 1896) with the correct original flat (solid- no trap) buttplate still in place. Finding an original unmodified M1892 Krag stock is probably impossible, so it is best to try to salvage this one. There is a small chip in the toe, visible in the photos. Faint traces of a cartouche, and a “J” which was an early arsenal inspection marking, but I forget which one. Based on the scarcity of original M1892 rifles, this rifle, when restored, will make a good filler in a collection unless you get very rich and very lucky and find a totally correct original. $1550.00 (View Picture)

16708 U.S. Model 1898 .30-40 Krag SADDLE RING CARBINE (Restoration Project) - Serial number 113962. made in 1898. This is an original M1898 carbine with the short M1896 style stock, but without the beveled area around the bolt handle, so it is definitely the M1898 carbine stock, not a cut down rifle stock. The serial number is close to some documented carbines, but data is extremely sparse, and mixed with rifle numbers when these were made during the hectic days of the Spanish American War right after the switch from the M1896 to the M1898 models. Although Flayderman reports the serial number range on the M1898 carbines as between 125,000 and 135,000, the SRS research in official documents has turned up references to them between about 112,800 and 139,000. Unfortunately, Bubba’s old deer carbine was not shooting as well as he liked, so his local gunsmith installed a new barrel on it, made from a M1903 barrel, as was the case with thousands of Krags in the 1920s-1950s. But the good news is that the bore is excellent, and the length is 22.5 inches instead of the regulation 22 inches, so it could be dressed up a bit at the muzzle after you remove the ramp type sight. Action has been buffed lightly and reblued nicely. Stock is excellent at first glance, with faint but legible JSA/1898 cartouche and circle P. However, close inspection reveals that it is cracked on the right side down into the butt, and another back from the trigger guard into the butt. This is clean, dry wood and will be very easy to repair with a bit of glue or epoxy. Another crack in the usual Krag weak area on the right side back from the magazine inletting. One large scrape about 1” x ¾” on lower right side of the butt, otherwise just the expected assorted minor dings and scrapes of an issued arm. Unlike so many carbine stocks, this one has NOT been drilled for sling swivels. Rear sight is the correct M1896 style, but it is marked with the rifle graduations, not the slightly different markings for a carbine. No barrel band, but S&S has repros available, and they also have repro M1896 carbine type handguards. The saddle ring has been removed, but the bar is intact. With a bit of stock repair work, addition of a band and handguard and reworking the barrel to add a correct style front sight and trimming the length this can be a good representative example of the scarce M1898 Krag carbine. Only about 5,000 were originally made, and most of those were later updated with the longer M1899 carbine stocks to be used with the later M1898/1901/1902 model rear sights. A correct M1898 carbine is an extremely scarce gun, and seldom found on the market. While it would be nice to have a 100% correct original, this will fill that gap in your collection at a bargain price. ANTIQUE, NO FFL NEEDED. $795.00 (View Picture)

1087 MODEL 1892 .30-40 KRAG RIFLE PROJECT - Serial number 23399 with good JSA 1895 cartouche. This is an ongoing restoration project of mine which needs to have a forend made to finish it up, and a M1892 handguard (original or repro), a magazine cutoff and a M1896 front sight blade. This is an UNMODIFIED M1892 stock (although cut off at the band) and M1892 UNMODIFIED receiver which has never had the notch added for the bolt stop when M1892 rifles were upgraded to M1896 configuration. The barrel is a regular M1896 with the crowned muzzle (it was flat on the M1892). We include an upper band which has been modified to add a cleaning rod guide to duplicate the appearance of the ultra rare M1892 band. The stock has the correct straight toe, with the thin, no-trap buttplate and very good legible JSA 1895 and circle P. It also has the letter “J: near the cartouche, which I believe is a Span-Am era overhaul marking, but I do not know the location. Initials WFP lightly scratched on the bottom of the stock ahead of the trigger guard but not very noticeable. Correct oval head large buttplate screw, but like most Krags, the finish is gone from the buttplate. It does not have any of the usual cracks or damage in the action area, but is good and solid. It is cut at the lower band, but the end of the cleaning rod groove is clearly visible, and it was never enlarged for the 1896 filler strip. It had some ugly varnish stripped without harming the markings, and has the expected assorted minor dings and scrapes of an issued arm. Restoration of the stock would involve splicing a new forend piece in place, with a groove for the cleaning rod. This is not a hard job, but requires some patience and skill, and I have not had time to do it. No cleaning rod or handguard are included, but S&S sells nice repros. Front sight blade and magazine cutoff are easy to find. The action is marked on the left side 1894 SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 23399 and the receiver parts are a mix of gray, silver, black and dull steel colors. Bolt is dull steel gray color that matches nicely with the other parts. Bolt is the (scarce) correct type for this serial number range with the cut on the rib, and the gas escape hole located closer to the front like the earlier square rib bolts. Bolt sleeve is late 1892 type with pinned safety but not knurled. Extractor is a M1896 that has been altered to remove the bolt stop pin, so it looks like the M1892. Exposed parts of the barrel with about 85-90% blue turning plum. Barrel has some moderate pitting between the M1892 rear sight and the receiver that will be hidden by the handguard. Bore is dark and worn and rough, but no cavernous pitting. You could square off the muzzle face to end up with a very good approximation of the M1892 Krag appearance. Normally I would not encourage such extensive restorations, but the number of unmodified M1892 rifles is miniscule, and few collectors will ever be fortunate enough to own one, so this may be as close as you will get. Antique, no FFL needed. $1450.00 (View Picture)