Mississippi question

[marv762]

has anyone ever heard that the south captured any of these and removed the markings on the lock plate? saw one today in very fine shape complete with original bayonet and scabbard.
that was the story i was told from the owner

[noonanda]

has anyone ever heard that the south captured any of these and removed the markings on the lock plate? saw one today in very fine shape complete with original bayonet and scabbard.
that was the story i was told from the owner

Like a totally blank/scrubbed lockplate? Not that I have read in any of the docs I have seen on the Mississippi, but other wiser individuals here might know. Also you say original bayonet. The Mississippi was not designed to take a bayonet originally, they were modified in a few different ways to utilize one. Depends on the modification. Did you get a picture of it?

[Carolina Reb]

Haven't heard that one. From time to time both the Govt. armories and contractors sold off lots of condemned parts for scrap. This "could have" included unfinished and unmarked Mississippi plates. Then other operations would build non-parts interchangeable arms using the not quite up to spec parts. Is there a "C" stamped in it someplace?

[marv762]

i will get another look at it next week when i pickup my gun he's working on. he said that is what he was told and the gun is from his fathers collection. it says confederate used on the tag from his father. his father has quiet the collection of long arms in very good quality. even has an original nipple wrench in the stock patch box.

[John Holland]

This subject has been discussed numerous times over the years by many collectors. These arms which have had the "US" removed from the lock plate and quite often from the butt plate, too, do show up from time to time. The common lore is that these represent defacement by a Confederate soldier because of his hatred of the Union, which is a possible scenario, although a bit unlikely. In my opinion, the common Confederate soldier was more interested in where his next meal was coming from, rather than what was stamped on his outdated musket or rifle. Another theory, which has been seriously considered, is that these arms that have had "US Ownership Markings" removed had been, shall we say, "Liberated" from their rightful owner, which of course, would be the United States. However, I recently saw an 1816 Musket with a Confederate brazed bolster alteration to percussion, which had the US removed from the butt plate and the US and Eagle rather crudely scrubbed off the lock plate! There are no Confederate records known to exist that call for the removal of "US" marking from the muskets and rifles. Who knows what was done in the field, so if you have one of these arms, it can be whatever you want it to be!

[Hal]

Like they say, "Buy the gun, not the story."

[marv762]

the gun with the story would be priced at $3800 US dollars. i think the story is adding $1000 onto the price. i have decided to keep my money