Approved arm for skirmishing?

Is the Wurttembergischen .54 cal. musket by Pedersoli an approved arm for skirmishing? Apparently these were among the foreign arms imported during the Civil War.

[Wayne Shaw, 1985V]

Glen in a nut shell NO. The last I heard there was not enough information supplied to the SAC as to the numbers imported, who issued to and purchased by during the war. It's a great rifle, shame we can't use it.
Have a great new year. Wayne Shaw 1985V SAC

Bummer. It is a nice musket. I'll have to check that book on European Arms of the Civil War to see if it has any documentation on that (unless you already have checked!).

[John Holland]

Glenn,

A number of years ago Sharon Cunningham was Dixie Gun Works representative to the N-SSA. She and I worked very hard to document that arm. We came up with absolutely nothing. If anyone can provide documentation as to the importation of that arm during the American Civil War, the Small Arms Committee will be pleased to review it.

Sincerely,
John Holland
Small Arms Committee

Hi John,
Thanks for the info. I certainly don't have the hubris to think that I can do a better job of researching an arm better than you have.

I guess I'll just have to be content with the other seven or eight N-SSA approved muskets that I currently skirmish with.

Pity though; nifty musket that Wurttembergische.

[Richard Hill]

The Ordnance Department made up a list of ALL guns available for issue and the Wurttemberg .54 cal. musket (or rifle) is not listed, even in the final 1865 list. From what little I have it would seem that the gun was not made and/or issued in sufficient quantities before 1861 to allow the sale of “surplus” arms.

That makes sense. In the book, Arms from Europe, they do show that musket, but the descriptions of just what they did get from many of the European purchases is often quite vague.

As far as the musket itself (the one from Pedersoli), my German reference books designate it as the Model 1862, as used by Wurttemberg, Hesse, and smaller states. If they were issuing it in 1862, then they probably wouldn't be selling them abroad at that time also.