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Thread: Brazilina Light Minie Rifle for Sale

  1. #1
    Jim Wimbish, 10395's Avatar
    Jim Wimbish, 10395 is offline
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    Brazilina Light Minie Rifle for Sale

    I have for sale a Brazilian Light Minie Rifle that has been in my hands for about 20 years. I have seen quite a few since and quite honestly none have been as nice. There is a link below for actual photos of the gun and I have included some of the write up that College Hill Arsenal had on one that they sold at some time in the recent past. The last one that the Horse Soldier sold went for $1,950. I'm not sure what the College Hill gun sold for. Since I don't have but one other foreign made musket, I have decided to sell it. The price is $1,750. I can deliver it to Fort Shenandoah at the next 2 shoots or the upcoming Nationals. It is all original and complete and has a very nice bore. I even shot it once and it performed fine.


    This is one of the most attractive of the percussion rifles used during the American Civil War. The Brazilian Light Minié Rifle, manufactured by the O.P. Drissen company of Liège, was a unique combination of the features found on the British Pattern 1856/58/60 series of Enfield short rifles and the French Light Minié rifle. The .577 caliber rifle was designed to accept a straight bladed saber bayonet, and the guns imported by US purchasing agents are readily identifiable by the classic brass shield with an eagle on the wrist of the stock. The guns have the OP Drissen maker mark of a D –Anchor – C on the lock and most of the metal and wood parts. The D – (ANCHOR) – C makers mark typically appears on the breech, lock, butt plate, barrel bands and trigger guard of the guns, as well as the stock. This same mark also appears on the obverse ricasso of the saber bayonets that were manufactured by S&K (SCHNITZLER & KIRSCHBAUM of Solingen) for use with the rifles. While there is still some debate regarding how many of these rifles were imported for use, the general consensus is that the US Government purchased around 6,000. The guns seem to be referred to as “Belgian rifles of Enfield pattern” or "Rifles, Liège, saber bayonet, caliber .577" in various period records of purchases. The likely source for most of these guns appears to be the firm of C.K. Garrison, who had a contract to deliver 5,800 "Minié Rifles of Liège pattern with saber bayonets". The origin of the name "Brazilian Light Minié Rifle" is unclear and is almost certainly a collectors term and not one from the period. The story has always been that these Belgian made guns were part of a contract destined for the Brazilian military, but ended up being sold to US buyers instead. Sadly the documentation for the story is somewhat lacking and while the guns will probably be known by this name forever, the appellation is probably nothing more than “gun show lore”. William B. Edwards was using the term in his classic work Civil War Guns as early as 1962, and Frederick P Todd continued to use the name in his 1974 work American Military Equipment 1851-1872. Period images of troops with these guns appear from time to time, with one of my favorites being a rather clear ¼ plate of three US Engineers with these rifles & saber bayonets. The brass US Eagle wrist shields on the guns are clearly visible in the image, and their saber bayonets are suspended from M-1855 rifleman’s belts. The men all wear engineer’s castles on their forage caps. From time to time, these guns also show up with state of Ohio ownership marks.


    Overall this is a really fine displaying example of a gun that I feel rivals the US Mississippi Rifle in terms of overall attractiveness. These rifles were well-made and durable arms that saw service for a good part of the war, mostly in the hands of US troops in the Western Theater. This example is tremendously nicer than the large majority of the examples encountered these days and is 100% complete and correct in every way. Usually these rifles are missing the correct ramrod, or the rear sight and even the brass wrist shield is often missing. None of these typical problems are present here. This Brazilian Light Minié Rifle displays wonderfully and has a fantastic unmolested look. While the gun is hardly in pristine condition, unused condition, it has the quality that is so hard to find in 19th century military guns; real world use without abuse or 20th century repairs or alterations. This is about the best Brazilian Light Minié Rifle, I’ve seen in the last 10 years, and worthy of a place in a high quality collection of Civil War era import military long arm.

    Here is the link for the gun: http://s1379.photobucket.com/user/Ji...0Minie%20Rifle
    Jim Wimbish

    Member of NSSA since 2000



  2. #2
    Jim Wimbish, 10395's Avatar
    Jim Wimbish, 10395 is offline
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    Price reduced to $1,475.
    Jim Wimbish

    Member of NSSA since 2000



  3. #3
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    Brazilina Light Minie Rifle for Sale

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Wimbish, 10395 View Post
    Price reduced to $1,475.
    Jim,

    I am interested, but for some reason I can't get to the photos. I will try another computer to see if it has to do with the network I'm on now.

    Thanks,

    Rey
    Rey
    De Oppresso Liber
    11th IN Zouaves

  4. #4
    Jim Wimbish, 10395's Avatar
    Jim Wimbish, 10395 is offline
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    Rey,

    I just rechecked the link and it works for me.

    Email me at jsw235 at comcast.net and I will get you the pictures if you continue to have difficulties.
    Jim Wimbish

    Member of NSSA since 2000



  5. #5
    Jim Wimbish, 10395's Avatar
    Jim Wimbish, 10395 is offline
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    I will have this gun at the Nationals if anyone would like to see it.
    Jim Wimbish

    Member of NSSA since 2000



  6. #6
    Jim Wimbish, 10395's Avatar
    Jim Wimbish, 10395 is offline
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    Oh great, I got spammed. Someone please delete the bicycle ad.
    Jim Wimbish

    Member of NSSA since 2000



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