Thanks smellie and others for your comments.
I guess I fit into the category of a ‘collector’ rather than a ‘shooter’ of these old guns.
The balance of my BP collection is shown below.
#1- U.S. Model 1841 (Mississippi rifle) - Whitney Contract-lock dated 1848-.54 cal.
#2- Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket-lock dated 1861-.58 cal.
The piece is not a Brit issue as it lacks the army proof house markings - even arms bought commercially for Brit service were normally reproofed at an army proof house.
24 bore on these Enfields indicates .58 cal instead of .577 cal.
An interesting comment from an Enfield expert.
He advises that some Enfields made for the US, in 24 bore, in the early part of the war, were actually bought by the Rebels, and that might explain the bore size.
Where did this possible CS control marking come from?
Brit regulations specified that all arms were to have a number not to exceed four digits engraved "and in no instance stamped or punched" on the butt plate, the ramrod, the bayonet socket, the bayonet scabbard stud, and the waist belt.
Bottom line ...this is not a Confederate Enfield.
#3-U.S Model 1861 Rifle Musket- Muir Contract-lock dated 1863-.58 cal.
#4-U.S. Model 1842 Musket-Harpers Ferry-lock dated 1843-.69 cal smooth bore.
#5-Smith carbine-.50 cal.
#6-U.S. Model 1884 Springfield Trapdoor Rifle-1893 SWP acceptance cartouche.
#7 & 8 These BP guns we used to shoot back in the 60's.
Although not a firearm, I am very pleased with this CW bayonet.
The crazy part is I don’t own the rifle that it was designed for.
Pretty hard to find these Model 1861 U.S. Navy Dahlgren bayonets in this condition.
The scabbards are usually in rough condition.
Very well marked and dated 1844.
U.S. Navy inspector Daniel Reynolds' stamp.
The Dahlgren knife bayonet... (Named after Admiral John A. Dahlgren, U.S. Navy)... one of two bayonets associated with the Whitney Model 1861 Percussion Navy ("Plymouth") .69 calibers Rifle.
The Whitney "Plymouth" rifle, named after the U.S.S. PLYMOUTH, a naval ordnance testing ship which had been built under Dahlgren's supervision, has the distinction of being the only U.S. contract arm to be originally rifled in .69 calibers.
The first Knife Bladed bayonet is considered to be the Model 1861 for the Plymouth / Whiteville rifle. It is perhaps better known by its nickname the Dahlgren Bowie Bayonet, named for it inventor Admiral John A. Dahlgren. Many articles have been written about the Dahlgren bayonet but what is most intriguing are the actual letters from the Admiral himself regarding its design and use. As we know the basic use of a bayonet is mounted to the end of a rifle or musket. To Dahlgren's thinking this is not the proper use of his newly invented arm. It should be known that Admiral Dahlgren was in command of several Navy ships and knew first hand what close quarters fighting was about. With this in mind perhaps we can relate to the admirals thought when he wrote that the bayonet was best used in the hand not mounted on the end of the rifle it was designed for. It is also interesting to note that the 1861 rifle already had a sword bayonet designed for it at the time of Dahlgren's invention of the new bayonet. In Dahlgren's own words he called it the "most useless thing in the world at the end of a musket." Perhaps this explains why most Dahlgren bayonets do NOT fit the Model 1861 rifle. They were meant to but they were also designed to be used as a close quarters fighting weapon in a sailors or marines hand. The Admiral invented a bayonet because a knife would not be sanctioned by the Ordnance Board. But being the clever fellow he was the bayonet did not really have to fit the rifle either.
(This stuff was not written by me...I wish I could remember where I found it to give credit to the original author.)
Thanks for all your interest in this thread.
David
