Newbie needs some help

[dlc_aec]

Hello all,

I have recently discovered I have Civil War veterans in my tree. Part of my small gun collection is going to have a black powder. Ive figured Ill kill 2 birds with one stone, get a rifle my ancestors used, and it will be the collections black powder gun.

Heres where I need the help. Im not at all fluent in the ways of black powder. Is it possible to get a good, firing example of a 1861 or 1863 springfield? Or would I be better suited to find a reproduction. I would really like to have a real, honest-to-goodness 18?? rifle, but if it doesnt fire, it wont do.

Can you all fine folks help?

Thanks,
Douglas

[jon_norstog]

Douglas,

When I was a kid in central Ohio my friends and I used to ride our bicycles out to a crossroads town caLLED Tremont City. There was a country store that had a lot of "junque" where we would buy soda pop. The store had a barrel full of rusty CW rifled muskets, I thiNk they were going for $10-$20.

You missed the boat. Those things are kind of pricey now. But if you look long and hard enough it may still be possible to find a decent shooter under $1,000, which would at least put it in the ballpark. Look down the muzzle. If you can see rifling, chances are the gun will shoot. BP isn't going to blow one up unless you double-charge it.

I'm a shooter, not a collector, of antique weapons. That's my take on it. The real weapon has a connection to the past that is missing in a replica. The replica may shoot better, and it will be shinier, but it doesn't have that connection. Others may disagree.

jn

[holdover]

post a WTB on the N-SSA website http://www.n-ssa.org/vbforum/forumdi...For-Sale-Items You should find something for 12-1500 or so.. I shoot at N-SSA and many shooters, including myself shoot original rifles. I sold an original 1861 with great rifling 2 yrs ago for 1100, prices have gone up a little.

[m1ashooter]

A replica can be had for 500 to 800 yankee dollars.

Take a gander at this site it might help you decide which way to go.

http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/ad...p?itemID=45241

[free1954]

ima-usa http://www.ima-usa.com/ has the three band enfield rifles for sale, but if you are going to do a LOT of shooting with it i would get a repo instead.

[Embalmer]

I agree if shooting, go replica

Fcsutlery.com

Dixie gun works

Regimental quartermaster in Gettysburg

Or if want to spend a Lil more on great defarbed replicas, look up john zimmerman in harpers ferry VA.


He made my replica savage 61 springfield

[JB White]

Caution: Those P53-type rifles from IMA are literally P53-type. Made in Nepal copies from back in the day for their own use and any spare parts needed will have to be handmade or repro made to fit if possible. While they are bona-fide antiques from the era, unlike their British or Belgian contract counterparts they have absolutely no connection at all to the CW. They can be brought back to being serviceable most times even though the metallurgy and overall quality is nowhere close to a European made arm. I know the ad hype eludes to the Civil War but if you read carefully they never claim their guns are connected.

The repro Enfield is another option since both sides imported them during the hostilities. They make for a nice generic representative arm, are less expensive, have decent sights, and tend to be used a lot more often than an original would/should.

[Weasel]

Those P53's are poping up all over the place.

[free1954]

Caution: Those P53-type rifles from IMA are literally P53-type. Made in Nepal copies from back in the day for their own use and any spare parts needed will have to be handmade or repro made to fit if possible. While they are bona-fide antiques from the era, unlike their British or Belgian contract counterparts they have absolutely no connection at all to the CW. They can be brought back to being serviceable most times even though the metallurgy and overall quality is nowhere close to a European made arm. I know the ad hype eludes to the Civil War but if you read carefully they never claim their guns are connected.

The repro Enfield is another option since both sides imported them during the hostilities. They make for a nice generic representative arm, are less expensive, have decent sights, and tend to be used a lot more often than an original would/should.

i didn't know that. thanks for passing that info along.

[JB White]

I've had a few Nepalese guns from the "stash". The only one I still have is a two band Snider copy. The others were well worth the price but didn't do much for me. The British guns coming out of there need work too. I have one of thier Martini Henrys (Enfield) and an F Pattern EIC musket made by the London trade. Both came back to life nicely and I still have those.

Free'54, if you're interested in what has come out of Nepal you might want to check out the books IMA offers. I have a copy of "Guns of the Ghurka's" and the weapons along with the story is facinating. The DVD's are supposed to be fantastic as well.