3243 COLT ALTERED WHITNEY 1841 MISSISSIPPI PERCUSSION

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This item SOLD at 2023 Nov 05 @ 14:45UTC-4 : AST/EDT
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 650.00 USD
Estimated at 1,300.00 - 1,800.00 USD
RIFLE. Cal. 58. S# 6525. Bbl. 33". Brass blade front sight. No rear sight present. Center of lock marked "E. WHITNEY US". Rear of lock marked "N. HAVEN 1852". Tang also dated 1852. Top of bbl. marked "US", "SM" & "VP". Left side of bbl. marked "STEEL". Colt purchased about 11,368 Mississippi rifles from the US government at a price of $10 a piece in 1861. Colt altered the guns for .58 Cal Minie balls, added their 1855 rear sights & added a bayonet lug for their saber bayonet. Colt then sold the majority of these rifles back to the Union at a price of $18.50 a piece. The front of the bbl. is numbered "6525" & bayonet lug is numbered "10440". Walnut stock w/ brass furniture & bottom mounted sling swivels. Brass tipped ramrod present. CONDITION: stock has added finish w/ a 5" crack behind upper tang, a few other smaller scattered cracks, a few dents, dings, handling marks & scratches. Brass parts were cleaned to bright w/ scattered oxidation, dings & varnish overruns. Balance of metal is a gray patina w/ some scattered light pitting, dings & oxidation. Bore shows scattered oxidation but evident rifling. (01-24058/MJC). ANTIQUE. $1300-1800.