1854 Lorenz?

[JimW]

My understanding it is an 1854 Lorenz? I'd like to replace some of the missing parts, but the question is what is it? Most of the screws and some parts have a "99" on them. It does have a ramrod channel, and the barrel goes from octagon to round. The barrel measures from the end of the tang to tip at 36 5/8.

[Don Dixon]

You do not have a Muster 1854 System Lorenz rifle musket. Instead, you have what I refer to as a pseudo-Muster 1862 rifle musket. The Muster 1862 rifle musket was essentially a product improved Muster 1854, just as the M14 rifle was a product improved M1. The Muster 1854, Type I, rifle musket's block sight was replaced on all Muster 1862 weapons with a long-range leaf sight graduated to 900 Schritt. The composition of the barrels was changed to cast steel, and the front sight was forged on the barrel, rather than soldered on, to provide a firmer attachment point for the bayonet. Lorenz's design for the Muster 1862 rifle included a new lock. He had been unable to develop an effective pistol using the lock from the Muster 1854 family of shoulder arms because the trigger pull was too heavy. His solution was a new smaller percussion lock which was first issued in the Muster 1860 Kavalleriepistole [Cavalry Pistol]. With the redesign of the Muster 1854 family of weapons into the Muster 1862 series, the decision was made to incorporate the Muster 1860 pistol lock into all Muster 1862 weapons.

Some arms advertised by Civil War importers as having been manufactured in the style of the Muster 1862 infantry rifle were imported in quantity, however. Since Austrian arms contractors had stocks of Muster 1854 parts, particularly barrels and locks, which they could no longer sell to the Austrian Army, they assembled weapons from conglomerations of parts; none of which would have meet Austrian Army acceptance standards for a Muster 1862 rifle. In manufacturing these weapons, the contractors re-profiled System Augustin and Muster 1854 lockplates to resemble Muster 1862 lockplates. The pseudo-Muster 1862 lockplate is the same length as the Muster 1854 lockplate and is visibly larger than true Muster 1862 lockplates. The Federal Army imported only three real Muster 1862 rifle muskets for intelligence exploitation. Since the Austrian Army was rearming with Muster 1862 weapons, none of them which passed Army inspection would have been exported. Of all the System Lorenz arms imported during the Civil War, the pseudo-Muster 1862 weapons are generally and unsurprisingly the worst in quality, which is why the fit between your lockplate and bolster is so bad.

A Muster 1854 hammer will fit your lock, a Muster 1854 front barrel band will fit unless the stock has been shortened somewhat, and a Muster 1854 ramrod will fit.

Regards,
Don Dixon
2881V

[JimW]

Thank you for all of your help. I sent you a PM with a further question, if you dont mind.