Confederate Richmond Rifle??

[RaiderANV]

I'd say it's just a Bannerman type cut down after the war for parade/honor guards?? It's the Star marking I've not seen before. Anyone know what this is?



http://www.gunsamerica.com//920456759/CONFEDERATE_RICHMOND_ARMORY_RIFL.htm?wl=1

[Curt]

Hallo!

It can be hard to impossible to say for sure, as the Richmond Arsenal did do a very small number of 'recycles' or rebuilds which were either repairs of damaged guns or using recycled pieces parts.

However, without commenting further on a Bannerman parts guns (who did the same 'recycling' on surplus)...

YES. the star is legit in form, size, and location. Richmonds vary a bit, as the early ones simply used Harpers Ferry captured barrels so some had the NUG Federal "V, P, Eaglehead" proofs, plus the Virginians and then later Confederates also simply used the same proof stamps. Ideally, and as found on some Richmonds, the star was a third inspector's stamp.
Some had believed that that the star inspector's stamp was when a barrel already had been proofed by the Feds when made into a 'Richmond."
However a small number of Richmonds have the star and sometimes a letter stamp and NO "V" "P" or "Eaglehead" stamping.

I have a unproven theory though. Off the top of my head... I recall the star stamps being found on rifle-musket barrels shortened from 40 to 36. I suspect, theorize that the star stamp was for inspecting and improving the "sawed off" work. (And while it could just be a Richmond recycled barrel and nothing else "Period" a 36 inch star only stamped barrel is right on.

I would have to look in Davis' pivotal book, after many readings.... but I am not remembering him talking about the star stamp at all.

Curt

[Dave Fox]

To augment what Curt wrote, Murphy and Madaus's "Confederate Rifles & Muskets" (Graphic publishers, 1996) devote some text and several pictures to Richmond rifles and rifle-muskets with the star proof or inspection stamp on a breech flat. They call the star a "reinspection" stamp of an altered weapon or one made up of salvaged parts. One photo (page 607) shows a rifle-musket with complete "V P & eagle" stamps plus the star. Page 609 shows a 36" barrelled rifle with Richmond lockplate and star plus a "5" or "3", perhaps, and nothing else. A Colt rifle-musket shortened to 36" barrel the star on a breech flat with the eaglehead and "VP" is shown on page 613. The authors write that these shortened weapons have the muzzles turned and foresight relocated to take a standard spike bayonet. The piece up for auction, if I squint my eyes just right, appears to evidence at least the remnants of the original inspectors' stamps on the breech flat.

[Curt]

Hallo!

IMHO... and heresies....

I believe that if and until some documentation comes to light that documents "short rifles" aka "artillery rifles" there are no Absolutes.

"Camps" are divided between an actual Civil War made and used "artillery rifle" (a rifle-musket shortened to 32 or 33 inch barrel) or, a post War "Bannerman" type surplus pieces parts assembled into a "cadet musket" class of arm for military schools.

While the 'star' stamp is NUG held to be a Richmond Armory "third inspection" apparently for recycled/refurbished arms, to my knowledge there are no records or work orders for Richmond Armory that takes about making a 36 inch barreled parts gun. (Richmond Short Rifles being a separate class or type of firearm.)

There are a number of parts guns that have 36 instead of 32 or 32 inch barrels. IMHO, they are attributed to Richmond Armory because of their barrels' star stamp. This is a glass half full, half empty kind of "logic." Meaning, it could mean that the parts were assembled and the gun inspected and so stamped. But it could also mean that the gun is a post War "Bannerman" parts gun and that the few surviving examples just happen to have nothing more than just a recycled Richmond barrel used in the parts mix.

When it comes down to which, I guess lads fall into yes and no camps. If I have one, and want to value it highly or sell it more highly it is yes. If I do not own one and am not buying one, I may see it as a Bannerman parts gun not worth elevated rarer "Richmond" prices.
And then way the consequences. Did I pass, perhaps foolishly, on a true Richmond piece? Or did I just buy a Bannerman surplus parts gun?

Curt
Who for one season in the N-SSA used a (custom) M1855 Type I "artillery rifle'