trying to find a good .58 cal Mississippi rifle to copy

[adamandnicole]

All,
I just purchased a Mississippi Rifle repro and I'm trying to find some good pics of a re-bored model to copy. Were there Harper's Ferry .58 cal models that kept the original rear sight? If so, does anyone know where I can find one to look at? A friend of mine sent me pics of a Remington alteration in a museum collection that appears to have a saber bayonet lug and the original, 1841 nosecap (not the shortened one). This gun was ID'd to an Alabama soldier and it also appears to have the original browning, not struck bright. I'd love to copy this one, but cannot find an appropriate lock plate.

Any thoughts?

Adam Dickerson

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: trying to find a good .58 cal Mississippi rifle to copy

Hallo!

"Were there Harper's Ferry .58 cal models that kept the original rear sight?"

Short answer: basically no.

With the modfied Minie bullet being developed by March of 1854. Already by the end of 1854, "standard" M1841's were being altered to take long range rear sights and sword/sabre bayonets. With the option of the new .58 Minie in July of 1855, and the new M1855 Rifle, the decision was made to "upgrade" even more M1841's by adding M1855 long range rear sights (by soldering or by screw mount) and reboring to .58.

Usually, the Harpers Ferry altered guns used M1855 Rifle LR rear sights,
M1855 Rifle front sights, bayonet mounting lug, and a short version of the double loop front band. (The exception is the 1854/55 alterations done with a Benton screw rear sight and the Snell Patent bayonet.)

About 11,000ish were redone to be "on par" with the new M1855 Rifle.

Plus, there were also contracts for similar modifications such as done by Colt with M1855 Colt Revolving Rifle rear sights, and several done with later
M1855 Rifle musket "short range" rear sights suc as Drake for Massachusetts.
And a number of turned down barrel versions to take the M1842 .69 or the M1855 .58 socket bayonets.

Late in 1859, SeEcretary of War Floyd ordered 10,000 .54 percussion rifles to be sent to several Southern arsenals, each receiving 2,000 to beef up the numbers reported to FLoyd by Colonel R. E. Craig based upon a survey. When the Southern arsenals were captured at the start of the War, they got a "jump" on unalered and altered M1841 Rifles.

At any rate, Rich Cross makes excellent reproduction M1842 alteration long range rear sights, M1855 Rifle LR rear sights, later M1855 Rifle short range rear sights. Benton "screw" rear sights, and M1855 Colt Revolving Rifle rear sights.. And several vendors sell the M1855 bayonet lugs, M1855 Rifle Musket front sights, and the "short nose cap."

Curt

[westcoastcampaigner]

Re: trying to find a good .58 cal Mississippi rifle to copy

Hello,

I have another question regarding Mississippi rifles. I'm making payments on a Euroarms .58 caliber right now and I'm wondering whether the the hammer and lock plate should be blued and the barrel browned or if they should be stripped bright. I have seen originals that were completely stripped, ones that have the hammer and lock plate stripped and barrel left brown and then one that wasn't stripped at all. So what was more common? Are the originals that are stripped that way due to natural wear or were they stripped purposely? And just for clarification...if I have a .58 caliber Mississippi rifle it should have a long range rear sight? Also I bought what I was told was a correct lock plate for it from James River and it is marked Harper's Ferry 1853 with an Eagle over the US...is this correct? Thanks for the help.

Regards,

Josh Sawyer
Liberty Rifles

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: trying to find a good .58 cal Mississippi rifle to copy

Hallo!

So what was more common? Are the originals that are stripped that way due to natural wear or were they stripped purposely?

In brief and to over-generalize...

Ah, it can be much like the "Bright Enfield" debate.

As made, the lock and hammer were case-hardened, the barrel browned. When altered to .58 and equipped with long or short range reat sights, it appears they were made bright to "match" the struck bright M1855 Rifles.
However, there is some question that still needs to be resolved on that as the first production of the M1855 Rifle in 1857 was brass mounted and the barrel browned as well. (But that was largely after the M1841 alterations at Harpers Ferry so it gets messy).

And just for clarification...if I have a .58 caliber Mississippi rifle it should have a long range rear sight?

Depends. The ones altered at Harpers Ferry initially had M1842 and then
M1855 Rifle long range rear sights. Others done later, such as Colt or Drake or the Benton rear sight version, typically had their own style of rear sights.
Usually, the "alteration" called for reboring to .58 AND an adjustable rear sight, but sometimes they "snuck by" with leaving them as .54.

Also I bought what I was told was a correct lock plate for it from James River and it is marked Harper's Ferry 1853 with an Eagle over the US...is this correct?

Yes, M1841's were made at Harpers Ferry through 1857 when production was switched over to the new M1855 Rifle.
An 1853 dated plate would be okay for an alteration as typically later ("newer") arms were used rather than the older...

Curt