PDA

View Full Version : 1863 Springfield



Benny
10-17-2006, 03:00 PM
Hi there....

I'm hoping there might be some 1863 Springfield experts on the forum...I have 3 rifles that have been in my family since the Civil War ended. First of all they are not for sale, and I hope they never will be. I hope they will be handed down for future generations just like they were to me.

The number 1 rifle is "Arsenal Fresh", It was issued, but never fired. There is a long story to go with it, but I can verify, by pulling the breech plug, that it never has had a fire built in it. a plug was carved and plugged the Muzzle, and it was put in a closet, and that is where it has been living....It different closets, for over 140 years.....

The number 2 rifle is almost as pristine as the one above, but it has been fired. Not many times grant you but it has been fired at least 10 times since the war ended....I fired it this month. It had been fired before tho...

The number 3 rifle is a little rough...It is a shooter tho', and was used for a hunting rifle until around 1900. It appears to have been "Cobbled" from several models. All 3 of the rifles have locks that have 1863 on them, and the top 2 have 1863 on the barrels. The number 3 Rifle, has a barrel with no date, and it has a cleanout plug on the drum which I think was last used in 1861.

If anyone is more knowledgeable on the Springfield than me, I'd like to work with them. I can send pictures of the differences . I want to document these rifles so that after I'm gone, my Grandchildren will know something about them. If anyone knows of a forum that deals in the restoration or documentation of the Civil War Springfield, could you let me know....

Thanks, Benny

shooter575
10-21-2006, 10:35 PM
Benny,The 1863 Springfield was a wartime change to make them a bit cheeper.The type I changed barrel bands to a thinner more rounded type with a screw clamping them togther.The band springs were eleminated also.The rear sight was changed to a cheeper to make style type.The bolster was reshaped and the clean out screw was deleted.With that change the cone was moved inboard so a hammer that had a diffrent offset was needed.
The type II went back to the band spring and droped the screw band to one with out.[they must of fell off?]
They used up parts in stock so some 1863s may be a mixmash. Also the barrels,locks and stocks will interchange [other than that hammer change] so a lot of field repairs have happend.The 1864 and 1865s ones were mostly made as type IIs. Then after the war many were sold as scrap and Bannerman bought and turned many into shotguns,Many were cut down to 32" barrels with two bands to be used as cadet models etc.These were all post war conversions.
Here are a couple links of intrest

.http://www.civilwarguns.com/board/index.php

http://www.civilwarguns.com/board/index.php

NickSS
10-22-2006, 04:56 AM
Your shooting rifle is a model 1861 as it has a clean out plug. It probably has flat steel bands and band springs as well. The 1863 model was made in actually two models. The earlier ones had clamping bands like the enfield muskets from England. Due to the rush to make guns the wood of the stocks were not cured and as they cured the bands got loose and came off. So in the second model they reverted to band springs.

Springfield armory quit making the model 1861 in 1863 when they started production of the improved model but contractors made the Model 1861 muskets until sometime in 1865 when all residual uncompleted contracts were canceled. You can tell which contractor or Springfield armory built your rifles by looking at the lock plates.