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Item No.:	9917	Price :	SOLD
Item :	HARPERS FERRY US MODEL 1855 2-BAND RIFLE

Description :

This is an original, Civil War, U.S. Model 1855 Rifle manufactured at Harpers Ferry Armory in 1859. The Model 1855 was the first U.S. arm specifically designed to fire the new "Minie" ball ammunition. It was .58 caliber and fitted with the Maynard Tape Primer Device. This allowed, in theory, a new cap to be advanced to the percussion cone each time the musket was cocked, eliminating the need to manually cap the weapon for each shot. In practice it did not work well and was eliminated on the later Model 1861 Rifle-Musket. This was the primary type in the hands of the troops at the beginning of the Civil War. The Model 1855 soldiered on throughout the conflict, side by side with the later types. The 2-band rifle was intended for specialized rifle regiments. Harpers Ferry only made 8,700 of this type, making them fairly scarce. This rifle is in antique good condition overall. It has been pretty heavily cleaned to return it to a bright finish. This has made some areas of the lock markings faint. The barrel exhibits pitting which is quite heavy near the breech and bolster area. The lock exhibits pitting as well, which has been polished. The remainder of the metal has a sprinkling of brown also polished over. The lock works well. The Maynard device is present and functions properly. The bore is pitted but the rifling is visible along the barrel's length. The stock has been lightly sanded and oiled. No cartouche remains. This is not the best example of a '55 Rifle, but it is solid and still a scarce gun. Stock no. 28377

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