Please help me identify this rifle-musket...!!!

[billywebb]

This gun is hanging on the wall at a local gun shop. It looks European, especially British or British Empire to me, but I have never seen one like it before. It is a two band rifle-musket with a socket bayonet. The only markings on the gun are the serial number 111 and two proof marks: Crown over "AZ" on the top of the breech and Crown over "T" on the side of the breech. The barrel is hex at the breech going to round right after the nipple. It is in excellent condition. I have attached links to pictures.



Mystery Musket Pic01 Mystery Musket Pic02 Mystery Musket Pic03 Mystery Musket Pic04

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Please help me identify this rifle-musket...!!!

Hallo Kamerad!

It is a Spanish Model 1860 Rifle.
The Spanish adopted the Minie ball in 1852, and then basically copied the British P1853 in most ways save for minor variations.
A quick "ID" for these is the "clamp on" rear sight.

There are some that argue that there is a possible Confederate connection as possibly this type were offered to the Confederacy by agents in Havana, Cuba at an exhorbitant price- but apparently history does not record whether the offer was accepted or not.
Beyond that flimsy link, it is just a Spanish piece.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt