This is a good solid example of an unaltered Mississippi Rifle made in 1849 by Robbins and Lawrence of Windsor, VT. Probablly one of the most attractive rifles ever produced for the US military, this rifle is  complete w/original sights and sling swivels.  Both cartouches on the stock are light but still visible along with a number "2" located opposite of the lockplate.  Barrel has the correct Robbins and Lawrence proofs which read "US" over "JH" over "P".  The barrel tang has a partial date still visible...most Model 1841's have lost that marking long ago.  Most parts are marked with small inspector initials.  Only item that is non-original is the ramrod which is a correct replacement. The bore is still in its original .54 Caliber configuration w/7 groove rifling.  The 1841 Mississippi was a very popular gun with the Confederacy during the Civil War, most of which stayed in .54 Caliber while those used by the Union were re-bored to .58 Caliber. 

This one has that Confederate Vibe to it...not just that its still in .54 Caliber, but it also has the soldier's initials who carried it carved into the stock.  "JFG" is carved upside down on the left side of the stock.  He also put a very light "J" in the wood and scratched lightly onto the brass door of the patchbox.  Carving one's initials onto their guns was quite a fad among Confederate soldiers...and done to a greater extent than in the Union.  Given the wide array of weapons the Confederates had to use to field an Army, its at least our theory that initials or names probably became a necessity to identify one soldier's weapon from the next.  The purpose for this was probably to help avoid disputes from theft and late night swaps of a good gun for an inferior weapon.  This rifle just came from the Louisville, KY area where it had been with a family for many years. 

Overall condition is NRA Antique Good++ to VG w/nice smooth metal that has turned over to light grey to brown patina w/no pitting. Lockplate has silvery traces of original case colors in protected areas. There are even a few traces of original fire blue at the back of the trigger. Good screws throughout.  Very Good markings overall. Action works well on both half and full cock positions.  Very Good bore with strong lands and grooves...still fairly bright.  Nice brass furniture sharp edges and profiles that was probably cleaned many years ago and has turned to a light mellow patina.  The wood is in very good condition with nice uncleaned surfaces that have good lines and mostly smooth surfaces along with a few dings and scratches its collected over the pate 158 years.  As stated earlier, this rifle still has both original cartouches intact and are still mostlly legible.  A nice example of an unaltered Mississippi rifle that is a couple steps above average by a well-respected maker.  The quality of the R&L Mississippis was so good that it resulted in a large order for Pattern 1853 Enfield rifles from the British Gov't after they toured their factory.

Item# 0622

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