Confederate Assembled Model 1863 Springfield

Description

Confederate Assembled Model 1863 Springfield

Model 1863 Springfield rifle musket assembled at a Confederate arsenal from mixed components.

The lock is dated 1862 while the hammer and barrel bands are of the later 1863 pattern with tightening screws. The barrel is missing its rear sight but retains other standard features including the tulip-shaped ramrod. Metal surfaces display a deep dark patina and the buttplate retains visible U.S. markings. Great example that served on both sides of the conflict.

Confederate assembled arms such as this reflect the scarcity of military weapons in the South during the latter half of the Civil War.

Confederate assembled and arsenal-altered arms occupy a particularly important place in Civil War collecting, as they speak directly to the chronic shortages of machinery, finished arms, and interchangeable components in the South. Rather than discard damaged or obsolete weapons, Confederate workmen routinely salvaged usable locks, barrels, bands, and furniture, producing serviceable arms from mixed parts. Pieces of this sort are valued not only for their scarcity, but because they so clearly illustrate the improvisational character of Southern wartime manufacture and repair.

Inventory Number: RIF 314