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Hallo Kameraden!
These few postings are intended to serve as a Quick & Easy “How To” alter or modify the Mexican War era M1841 rifle to several of its more commonly found Civil War era forms.
They are not intended to cover the basic “de-farb” concepts that can be SEARCHed and found on the threads on Springfields and Enfields, as well as “advanced de-farb‘ concepts such as adding barrel, lockplate, and stock stampings.. Nor are they intended to make silk purses out of Italian sows’ ears.
But, like so-called “de-farbs,“ they will allow one to make some improvements to the out-of-the-box Italian reproductions as well as “up-date” them to the larger CW usage types.
I will be looking at a number of alterations:
1. Two types of Colt alterations
2. Four types of U.S. arsenal
3. Possibly a Palmetto Arsenal (not an alteration but a manufactory)
HISTORY:
On July 5, 1855 Secretary of War Jefferson Davis ordered that the calibre of .58 be adopted along with the (combustible) Minie cartridge. This order also adopted the new M1855 Rifle to replace the M1841 Rifle. It was also decided to “upgrade” the M1841’s in inventory with sabre bayonets and long range rear sights to match the new M1855 rifles. In 1859, it was decided to modify the M1841 rifles to take a angular socket bayonet instead of the sabre or sword bayonet (these being M1855 .58 bayonets as well as M1842 .69 bayonets).
When President Lincoln called for 42,000 volunteers to join the U.S. Army on May 3, 1861, the Ordnance Department realized it may not actually have enough .58 weapons to issue them- so a look was given to what was “in inventory.” One of the ideas from Chief of Ordnance Lt. Colonel James Ripley was to alter the stocks of .54 M1841 rifles to .58.
Samuel Colt was offered a deal to rebore and add sabre bayonets, and sold the rifles at a price of $10.00 per gun (but without what his charge would be). He was sent a sample rifle in June of 1861, and agreed to do the work. By July, 11, 368 M1841’s in store at New York, Washington, Watertown, and Watervliet Arsenals were shipped to Colt in Hartford, CT.
Colt pulled somewhat of a fast one, adding sabre bayonets without reboring, and quickly sold of 468 of them to Connecticut to fulfill a contract, but at $25.00 a rifle. (a nice profit).
The Ordnance Department was furious, but desperate. By August, work was allowed to start. In February of 1862, a price was agreed upon of $18.50 (Colt‘s cost in bayonets, parts, and labor being $4.07 on top of the $10.00 cost of the rifle for a total of $14.07).
The saber bayonets and splines came from Collins & Company for $3.00 and 6.47 cents each. The adjusting screws on the splines came from American Screw Company for 60 cents per hundred. And Colt’s labor came in at just under $1.00 per gun.
Through the winter of 1862, some 2,000 altered rifles were shipped out to Washington (going to a number of NY regiments) and 8,400 to St. Louis Arsenals (some of which may have come back for several NY regiments). On December 31, 1862 the remaining inventory at Colt was reassessed at $5.00 and in 1863 sold to Schuyler, Hartley, & Graham for $19.00 each plus appendages.
Colt made a profit on $30,201.34 on the alterations sold to the U.S. Government, roughly $5,500 on the guns sold to Connecticut, and $7,110.00 to Schuyler, Hartley, & Graham. Roughly a return of $42,800 on the “job.”
COLT ALTERATIONS:
There are two general types of Colt Alterations:
First type:
1. Rebored to .58 with seven lands and grooves, later three.
2. Long range sight added by expanding the rear sight dovetail from ¼ to ½ inch, and adding a Colt-Root Model 1855 Percussion Repeating Rifle rear sight.
3. A “bayonet adapter” ring, or detached spline, was clamped on the muzzle.
4. A four digit serial number is stamped on the spline as well as on the bottom third of the barrel between the front double looped band and the rear of the spline.
5. Barrels carry additional “reinspection” stamps at the left rear of the breech. These are typically “cc,” “1 CC,” “2 CC,” “3 CC,” or “4 CC.”
6. The butt stock is stamped on the left side, opposite the lockplate, with an additional inspector stamp carrying the initials “CGC” or “GTB.”
7. I have found no evidence, so far, calling for either “removing” or “rebrowning” the barrels. Since the M1841’s were intended to “match” the M1855’s (all but first production of the M1855 were bright), I am recommending them be “struck bright” (until evidence comes to light contradicting that).
Minimum needed for a Q & E alteration:
1. Do the “standard de-farb” work.
2.. Add a long range sight added by filing the rear sight dovetail from ¼ to ½ inch, and adding a Colt-Root Model 1855 Percussion Repeating Rifle rear sight (available from a number of sources, such as S & S Firearms and Lodgewood.)
3. Add a “bayonet adapter” ring, or detached spline, to the muzzle (available from Dixie Guns Works).
Of course, adding the “finer details’ such as the name on the lockplate, U.S. barrel inspection, proof, and acceptance (V, P Eaglehead) stamps; or the stock inspectors stamp, etc., etc., all take things closer to “an original.”
Note: Depending upon one’s skill-set and tools, one can pay a CW gunsmith to take care of these things for you.
Second type:
1. Rebored to .58 with seven lands and grooves, later three.
2. Long range sight added by expanding the rear sight dovetail from ¼ to ½ inch, and adding a Colt-Root Model 1855 Percussion Repeating Rifle rear sight.
3. An “M1855 Rifle” style but uniquely "Colt" “very long bar” bayonet lug/rail was riveted in place on the right side of the muzzle with two rivets.
No. 3 makes this version tricky. I have not yet seen or handled an original to know the nature of the two “rivets.” However, the Colt lug's rail or “bar” is extremely long, and short of having an original to take to a machinist to copy… one can have a M1855 Rifle bayonet lug (long, but not that long) brazed in place and the rivets simulated or ignored. Someone suggested that a “Zouave” (M1863 Muzzleloading Percussion Contract Rifle) barrel with its lug in place can be used. I do not know if the two are interchangeable (no Zouaves on hand here). So, the M1855 lug brazed or soldered on, might be best… (or the least of three evils).
Next time: Arsenal Alterations
Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
These few postings are intended to serve as a Quick & Easy “How To” alter or modify the Mexican War era M1841 rifle to several of its more commonly found Civil War era forms.
They are not intended to cover the basic “de-farb” concepts that can be SEARCHed and found on the threads on Springfields and Enfields, as well as “advanced de-farb‘ concepts such as adding barrel, lockplate, and stock stampings.. Nor are they intended to make silk purses out of Italian sows’ ears.
But, like so-called “de-farbs,“ they will allow one to make some improvements to the out-of-the-box Italian reproductions as well as “up-date” them to the larger CW usage types.
I will be looking at a number of alterations:
1. Two types of Colt alterations
2. Four types of U.S. arsenal
3. Possibly a Palmetto Arsenal (not an alteration but a manufactory)
HISTORY:
On July 5, 1855 Secretary of War Jefferson Davis ordered that the calibre of .58 be adopted along with the (combustible) Minie cartridge. This order also adopted the new M1855 Rifle to replace the M1841 Rifle. It was also decided to “upgrade” the M1841’s in inventory with sabre bayonets and long range rear sights to match the new M1855 rifles. In 1859, it was decided to modify the M1841 rifles to take a angular socket bayonet instead of the sabre or sword bayonet (these being M1855 .58 bayonets as well as M1842 .69 bayonets).
When President Lincoln called for 42,000 volunteers to join the U.S. Army on May 3, 1861, the Ordnance Department realized it may not actually have enough .58 weapons to issue them- so a look was given to what was “in inventory.” One of the ideas from Chief of Ordnance Lt. Colonel James Ripley was to alter the stocks of .54 M1841 rifles to .58.
Samuel Colt was offered a deal to rebore and add sabre bayonets, and sold the rifles at a price of $10.00 per gun (but without what his charge would be). He was sent a sample rifle in June of 1861, and agreed to do the work. By July, 11, 368 M1841’s in store at New York, Washington, Watertown, and Watervliet Arsenals were shipped to Colt in Hartford, CT.
Colt pulled somewhat of a fast one, adding sabre bayonets without reboring, and quickly sold of 468 of them to Connecticut to fulfill a contract, but at $25.00 a rifle. (a nice profit).
The Ordnance Department was furious, but desperate. By August, work was allowed to start. In February of 1862, a price was agreed upon of $18.50 (Colt‘s cost in bayonets, parts, and labor being $4.07 on top of the $10.00 cost of the rifle for a total of $14.07).
The saber bayonets and splines came from Collins & Company for $3.00 and 6.47 cents each. The adjusting screws on the splines came from American Screw Company for 60 cents per hundred. And Colt’s labor came in at just under $1.00 per gun.
Through the winter of 1862, some 2,000 altered rifles were shipped out to Washington (going to a number of NY regiments) and 8,400 to St. Louis Arsenals (some of which may have come back for several NY regiments). On December 31, 1862 the remaining inventory at Colt was reassessed at $5.00 and in 1863 sold to Schuyler, Hartley, & Graham for $19.00 each plus appendages.
Colt made a profit on $30,201.34 on the alterations sold to the U.S. Government, roughly $5,500 on the guns sold to Connecticut, and $7,110.00 to Schuyler, Hartley, & Graham. Roughly a return of $42,800 on the “job.”
COLT ALTERATIONS:
There are two general types of Colt Alterations:
First type:
1. Rebored to .58 with seven lands and grooves, later three.
2. Long range sight added by expanding the rear sight dovetail from ¼ to ½ inch, and adding a Colt-Root Model 1855 Percussion Repeating Rifle rear sight.
3. A “bayonet adapter” ring, or detached spline, was clamped on the muzzle.
4. A four digit serial number is stamped on the spline as well as on the bottom third of the barrel between the front double looped band and the rear of the spline.
5. Barrels carry additional “reinspection” stamps at the left rear of the breech. These are typically “cc,” “1 CC,” “2 CC,” “3 CC,” or “4 CC.”
6. The butt stock is stamped on the left side, opposite the lockplate, with an additional inspector stamp carrying the initials “CGC” or “GTB.”
7. I have found no evidence, so far, calling for either “removing” or “rebrowning” the barrels. Since the M1841’s were intended to “match” the M1855’s (all but first production of the M1855 were bright), I am recommending them be “struck bright” (until evidence comes to light contradicting that).
Minimum needed for a Q & E alteration:
1. Do the “standard de-farb” work.
2.. Add a long range sight added by filing the rear sight dovetail from ¼ to ½ inch, and adding a Colt-Root Model 1855 Percussion Repeating Rifle rear sight (available from a number of sources, such as S & S Firearms and Lodgewood.)
3. Add a “bayonet adapter” ring, or detached spline, to the muzzle (available from Dixie Guns Works).
Of course, adding the “finer details’ such as the name on the lockplate, U.S. barrel inspection, proof, and acceptance (V, P Eaglehead) stamps; or the stock inspectors stamp, etc., etc., all take things closer to “an original.”
Note: Depending upon one’s skill-set and tools, one can pay a CW gunsmith to take care of these things for you.
Second type:
1. Rebored to .58 with seven lands and grooves, later three.
2. Long range sight added by expanding the rear sight dovetail from ¼ to ½ inch, and adding a Colt-Root Model 1855 Percussion Repeating Rifle rear sight.
3. An “M1855 Rifle” style but uniquely "Colt" “very long bar” bayonet lug/rail was riveted in place on the right side of the muzzle with two rivets.
No. 3 makes this version tricky. I have not yet seen or handled an original to know the nature of the two “rivets.” However, the Colt lug's rail or “bar” is extremely long, and short of having an original to take to a machinist to copy… one can have a M1855 Rifle bayonet lug (long, but not that long) brazed in place and the rivets simulated or ignored. Someone suggested that a “Zouave” (M1863 Muzzleloading Percussion Contract Rifle) barrel with its lug in place can be used. I do not know if the two are interchangeable (no Zouaves on hand here). So, the M1855 lug brazed or soldered on, might be best… (or the least of three evils).
Next time: Arsenal Alterations
Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
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