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Item No.:	10723	Price :	$26,500.00
Item :	PROFOUNDLY RARE WILSON BREECH LOADING CONFEDERATE NAVAL RIFLE, .551 CAL.

Description :

First, thanks to Tim Prince of College hill Arsenal for allowing me to copy parts of his outstanding description of this rifle! The Wilson Patent Breech Loading Rifle is one of the rarest and most sophisticated of small arms to be imported by the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Thomas Wilson was an engineer and inventor and held no less than 25 British firearms patents, which he registered between 1855 and 1868. Only briefly, during the years 1861-1862, does Wilson appear in English directories as a “Gunmaker”. While pursuing that trade he was located at 45 Church Street in Birmingham. However, Wilson’s limited time as a manufacturer of firearms belies his significant influence on firearms design and development. His patented designs were utilized by many English gunmakers, and while firearms of his own actual manufacture are extremely scarce, the use of many of his designs was common during the mid-19th century. British patent number 1318 of 1859 covered Wilson’s Breech Loading Rifle. It was for a percussion ignition, breech-loading rifle that was ingeniously simple and extremely sturdy. A simple “bolt” was located at the breech end of the barrel, which was secured by a transverse wedge, similar to an extremely oversized Colt pistol wedge. To load the gun, the wedge was drawn outward, away from the lock plate. When pulled out sufficiently, the wedge freed the simple bolt to be drawn backwards and exposed the chamber for loading. The bolt had a pivoting, fishtail shaped, checkered piece at its rear that gave the operator a firm grasping area for opening the bolt and a large target to slam the bolt closed with, when using the palm of his hand. A combustible cartridge was inserted in the chamber and the bolt slammed home to seat the cartridge. A greased felt wad in the bottom of the cartridge insured the chamber sealed completely and did not leak gas. The locking wedge was then pushed back into the bolt, securing it. At this point the hammer could be placed on half cock, and a percussion cap placed upon the cone (nipple). The rifle was then fired like any traditional cap lock. The placement and design of the wedge insured safety, as the hammer had to be in the fired position for the wedge to be moved. When the wedge was withdrawn (or not completely seated into the bolt), the hammer could not be moved at all and was blocked into fired position. This eliminated the potential for an accidental discharge while loading the rifle, or the firing of the gun without having the bolt completely in battery. This rifle is the only 28 Bore (.551) caliber rifle known. It is brass mounted, has the serial number 221, without a prefix, and is dated 1861. It has been arbitrarily termed a “transitional” Wilson, although it is likely a concurrent production rifle with other .541 caliber rifles, simply in a different caliber. This Wilson’s Patent Breech Loading Rifle is the finest extant example known and the only example of a “transitional rifle” known. The gun is in absolutely stunning condition, rating EXCELLENT throughout. The gun first came to light in 1952, when John George purchased it from a collector in Portland, OR, for the princely sum of $70.00. At that time, the gun had a paper label on the stock which read in large script US ORD DEPT WASH DC. When Mr. George purchased the gun he soaked the label off the stock, folded it and placed it under the upper barrel band for safekeeping. Unfortunately, over the ensuing 60 years, the label completely disintegrated, leaving only some remnants of paper under the barrel band, pressed against the stock. The majority of the remains of the label were lost when the gun changed hands in 2007, selling from Mr. George to another collector privately. At that time it was partially disassembled to document any markings, and a piece of oily paper marked “US’ was found under the band. I believe that this may be McLaurin’s “pattern rifle” because of the condition of the gun, the documented story about the Ordnance Department tag, and the fact that this is an actual Wilson produced Wilson rifle. It appears that most Wilson pattern arms were actually produced by other contractors, but McLaurin’s testimony infers that the pattern rifle came from Wilson himself. The gun is clearly and crisply marked on the lock with a typical (ENGLISH CROWN) to the rear of the hammer and with the engraved date 1861 forward of the hammer. The top of the bolt is clearly engraved T. WILSON’s / PATENT. The breech is marked with Wilson’s trademark, a (CROWN) / TW, and with the serial number 221. This same serial number appears on all of the components of the bolt and on the bottom of the breech wedge. The fishtail operating lever at the rear of the bolt is exquisitely hand checkered and is a real work of art. The top portion of the bolt retains the majority of its bright fire blued finish, which is starting to fade and turn a purplish-brown patina. The balance of the bolt body retains much of its case hardened mottling. The lock and hammer retain about 95%+ of their original case hardened finish, which is starting to tone down slightly and is not quite as vivid as it was 150 years ago. The lock and hammer show lovely mottled swirls of blue, purple and brown and are very attractive. The barrel retains about 90%-95% of its original rust blued finish, and shows only some minor fading and light finish loss along the high edges and contact handling areas. The left breech is marked crispy with the Birmingham provisional proof, definitive proof and definitive view marks, along with a pair of 28 gauge marks, which indicate the bore is .551 caliber. The saber bayonet lug near the barrel is the keyed variant for the P-1856 Type I bayonet and is marked with the mating number 1. This same mating number is present under the ladder of the 1,100 yard rifle rear sight. The lock functions crisply and correctly on all positions, and the Wilson’s patent breech loading system locks tightly into place and the bolt moves smoothly when the wedge is withdrawn. The bore of the rifle is NEAR MINT and is brilliantly bright with excellent five-groove rifling. Both original Palmer patent barrel bands are present, complete with their original screw protectors on the ends of the tension screws. Both original sling swivels are present as well, the upper on the upper barrel band and the lower screwed into the toe line of the stock. The original and correct ramrod is in place in the rammer channel, with its unique flared lip along the body of the rod to insure retention it the stock. This pattern would be revisited in the shape of the cleaning rods for Martini-Henry rifles. The brass furniture has a lovely, mellow, golden patina. The butt plate has a hinged compartment, which reveals two small holes in the stock for the storage of an oiler and a cleaning jag; neither of which are present. The stock of the rifle rates about EXCELLENT condition as well and retains nearly all of its original finish. The stock is solid and free of any breaks, cracks or repairs. The stock does show a number of minor bumps, dings and handling marks from use and storage, but nothing worth noting. Overall, this is simply an outstanding example of what is likely the rarest of all Confederate import rifles. The gun is simply stunning, and the photos do not do it justice. It would be absolutely impossible to upgrade this gun. This is a truly iconic piece, which deserves a place in an elite collection of Confederate long arms. You will not be disappointed with this opportunity to obtain such an outstanding, investment grade and extremely rare Confederate import rifle. Stock no. 32270

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