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1861 Springfield Contract Model

887 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  musketshooter 
#1 ·
Recently purchased an 1861 Springfield model dated 1864 by Providence Tool
and Die Man. which is original and complete EXCEPT for the fact that it has
no rear sight...nor any indication that it ever had a rear sight mounted!
There is no hole where the sight screw would have been positioned nor any
outline indicating that a sight base had been mounted. Was there an
alternate mounting method used at the time, or an alternate sight option, or
could there have been some rifles released without a rear sight mechanism?

v/r

Confused
 
#3 · (Edited)
I collect .58 Rifle-Muskets, including Springfields, Harpers Ferrys, the various Federal contractors and a variety of non-federal ones. Every one has a semi-dovetail cut and screw hole to mount the sight, even the C.H. Funk German Suhl. The sight leaves evolved over time and some, like the Connecticut Whitneys, have decidedly non-standard sight leaves, but the bases still mount the same way. The later 1855s had a notch in the barrel cut to align with a projection on the sight base. That base won't seat on a later barrel without the notch, but the later sight bases fit a the '55 just fine. Of course, the early Harpers Ferrys had long range sights, but they also had a semi-dovetail cut and used the same screw.

In 50 years I have never seen a barrel without the cut and screw hole.

Is the barrel rifled? A lot of surplus ones were bored smooth and sold as shotguns after the war. Even Sears was selling them. It could be a replacement barrel.
 
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