Parkers' Snow and Co.

[doc]

Hello all, a friend asked me about an M-1861 musket that has been in his Family forever. It's a Parkers' Snow & Co. contract rifle. The research I have done shows some were made under the Mulholland contract and some under their own. It shows the Mulholland ones as dated 1863 and the P&S as 1864. This is dated 1862. It's in overall good condition for an obviously issued and used piece. Anyone ever see an 1862?

[Craig L Barry]

Parkers' Snow & Co US 1861 contract was in September 1863 (see George Moller's American Military Shoulder Arms) and we do know those would all expectedly be found with later war dates on the lock plate. The principal of Parkers' Snow was named a gentleman named Charles Parker. Parker signed as a guarantor for James Mulholland's earlier government contract to produce US 1861s in mid-1862. As I understood it, Parkers' Snow did subcontract with Mulholland to fabricate those US 1861s for the earlier contract. However, I don't believe the deliveries of those earlier 5500 rifle muskets were made prior to mid-1863.