Mystery Repro SM1861

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo!

Who can shed light on this mystery?

Two of these reproduction Special Model 1861 Contract Rifle-muskets popped up recently. And I am stumped.

IIRC, the very first of the "Colt" SM1861's were hand-made by an N-SSA lad circa 1988-1989ish. That fell apart, almost instantly. but a short while later, circa 1995 Colt reoffered the SM1861. The original vision was for a limited edition (1995 to 1998 ) rather than a true mass production run, part of the non Colt Colt "Signature Series" being Armi Sport made parts assembled and finished to "Colt standards" which was just Lou Imperato's (Iver Johnson) "Colt Black Powder Arms Company' he created in 1993-2002.

Perhaps not so "mysteriously," shortly after "Colt" (Imperato) ceased making them, they turned up again in 1998 as Colt, L.G. & Y., and Amoskeag variations sold by Chattahooche Arms who was a Colt BP outlet. They were the same Italian guns, with just differently stamped lock plates.

Now two old reproductions have popped up, made by a company I do not know nor have heard of: Springfield Firearms Corporation, and "dated" 1981.

Can anyone help with this mystery?

















Thanks!

Curt
Stumped Chumps Mess

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

The only US made Colt reproduction was the one mfg by Springfield Firearms Corporation d/b/a "Springfield Armory" (ceased operations) which trademarked the name back in the early 1970s. They located their operation in Geneseo, Illinois. The outfit made reproductions of the various Springfield military arms beginning with the M-14 rifle. For a brief time in the early 1980s they made a few blackpowder Colt Special Model 1861s. This is apparently a surviving example of one of those. I think they still have a custom shop that produces variations of the M-1911 .45 handguns. This blackpowder US Special Model is a good find, a real rarity. I have never seen one. Why an outfit calling themselves "Springfield Armory" made a Colt Special Model of 1861 reproduction is a mystery we are unlikely to solve, but they did.

I have to say that I have never been a huge fan of the reproduction "Special Model of 1861." As Curt points out, the Italian made "Colt Blackpowder Firearms" and later "Chattahoochie Arms" version from a generation ago is just a dressed up Armi Sport US 1863. Look at the Armi Chiappa catalog and the heritage of that particular Colt Special Model of 1861 reproduction will become obvious. There is a chapter in The Civil War Musket on this version. The dead giveaway, besides the similarity to the Armi Sport "1863 Springfield" in the catalog is that the lock internals of those reproductions will accept an Armi Sport Enfield mainspring but original Colt Special Model parts will not interchange. Having never torn down one of these "Springfield Armory" versions, I can't say how close they are to the original design as far as parts interchanging. Wouldn't you think they would have made a US model 1861 reproduction which was produced at the original US Springfield Armory?

[Third Mainer]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Craig,
Where did you find the info on Springfield? They've never operated out of Mass, as far as I know....
Mike Pearson

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

No, that is correct the so-called "Springfield Armory" reproduction gun maker was not ever domiciled in Massachusetts. They just trademarked the name. The factory was in Illinois. From where or rather how I know this? Part is first hand knowledge, then I guess hanging around professional gun nuts like Todd Watts and some previous discussions with guys in the N-SSA who go way, way back like John Holland (Small Arms Committee). This "Springfield" outfit was on their "approved list" for the Special Model of 1861 at one time.

As far as my findings on the more recent Italian reproduction Colt Special Model of 1861. I bought one and took it apart while doing research for The Civil War Musket back in 2005. The findings are my own, but Curt is absolutely correct (or rather we reached the same conclusions) on what they actually are.

One day maybe Euroarms will fall into this "oddball" category of reproduction and Parker-Hale will as well. New guys will say, "...what was this big fat Enfield with LONDON ARMORY misspelled on the lockplate?"

[Third Mainer]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Craig,
Just curious. They did buy the name, but never operated out of there. There was an actual Springfield Firearms Corp. that was run out of Chicopee, that made single shot shotguns and the like. Springfield Armory operated under Springfield Inc. in the early 90's, but not As Springfield Arms Corp. I don't believe the two are the same.
Totally agree ont the Chatthoochie/Colt guns.
Mike Pearson

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Hallo!

Danke, Herr Craig!

"Springfield Armory, Inc." of Illinois was rattling around, but I could not place it with SM1861's, or link it to "Springfield Firearms Corporation."

My old pard Steve Jensco, stock maker, barrel maker, and parts dealer bought one of the Springfield Armory, Inc.'s "M-14's." back in the late 1970's or early 1980's.

Curt

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Hallo!

Springfield Firearms Corporation in Chicopee rather than Geneseo, Illinois..

Might that be the old "Springfield Arms Company" out of Chicopee, MASS, that was bought out by Stevens sometime around 1900??

Curt

[Third Mainer]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

The same, I believe.
Mike Pearson

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Interesting. The one making the reproduction "Special Model of 1861" was operating out of Illinois, or so I thought. So Springfield Armory is not Springfield Firearms Corp?

[Third Mainer]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Craig,
Not so far as I know. Springfield Armory Inc. only operated out of Devine TX. and Geneseo Illinois. Pretty sure they aren't the same.
Mike Pearson

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Hallo!

"Wiki says:"

'After the US Government's Federal Armory (founded by President George Washington), named Springfield Armory, was closed by the federal government in 1968, Elmer C. Ballance registered the trademark of "Springfield Armory" to be used by his new company (LH Manufacturing) dedicated to the first civilian production of the M14 rifle, calling it the M1A rifle. Ballance began in San Antonio, Texas, and soon after moved to Devine, Texas.'

Curt

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

So who exactly was Springfield Firearms Corp if not that group who bought the rights to the name "Springfield Armory"? The dates don't jibe for a turn of the century outfit because the date on it is 1981.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Hallo!

This chump is stumped.

Curt

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

I looked up Springfield Arms of Chicopee, and they were a division of Savage, who was bought by Remington and they made shotguns under that brand name from 1920 to 1948.

Then it says, "Springfield Arms Company is now known as the Springfield Armory. It is a private defense company that was founded in 1974. The company is headquartered in Geneseo, Illinois and produces firearms." It doesn't appear this reproduction blackpowder Colt Special Model of 1861 came from either place, and so...unless somebody knows who or what Springfield Firearms Corporation of Springfield, Mass is (we only know what it isn't) we are left in the dark. I availed myself of the search function and somebody posted on here back in June 2004 with a question about another SFC "Special Model of 1861" and nobody knew what to make of the thing then either.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Mystery Repro SM1861

Whoever made it did an awesome job!