I’m not sure exactly what I have here and the value. The receiver is marked – 1862 Springfield US Br---sburg (Possibly Brownsburg Indiana?). The letter U appears on the 3 barrel bands. The letters VP appear by the cocking hammer. It is a black powder rifle, maybe 69 caliber, with a 40” barrel. It is in excellent condition. Any info would be very helpful. Thanks in advance. Scott Starks

Bridesburg, 58 caliber. 1861 Springfield Civil War rifle.

Bob

Thanks Bob. I couldn't make out all the letters. We used a caliper to measure the barrel diameter. I guess we were off a bit.

Wood looks too good to be true. Has it been refinished? Not saying anything about it's authenticity.

All original. Never refinshed.

This one might have fought along with the above Springfield, or shot at it. Best I can figure from the stock makers name inside the barrel channel, that this rifle was made for southern contract. The 25 on the barrel represents 25 gauge, or 25 .577 balls to the pound and they are Birmingham proof marks. The canvas sling is a repro as I shoot this gun quite a bit in the winter months at trap clubs that hold black powder woods walks.

Toolmaker, that it a great looking gun!I am glad to hear you still shoot it. I have no idea the last time mine was shot. I was born in 1965 and it hasn't been shot in my lifetime! I have received some great emails explaining the Bridesburg shop, quantities made etc. Very interesting!

Scott, I spent most of my working life being employed about 5 miles away from Jenks manufacturing Co. who made the US Springfield muskets under contract for Springfield armory. There were several subcontractors who were making these rifles for the North during the civil war. Jenks company was in the Bridesburg section of Phila. not far from the Delaware river and interstate 95. I also grew up a few miles from the Sharps rifle Co. and used to play in the ruins of his mill which still has 4 walls standing along Mill creek in Gladwyne, Pa. Below is another toy that I shoot in the winter made by Amoskeag Co. which is the Colt design that the war dept. was very pissed off about not conforming to the US Springfield type 1 musket design, but paid for them anyhow. In 1863 the US Springfield musket was re-designed and they adopted the Colt submitted rifle features. Your musket is a type 1 design

ToolMaker, I received an email with a link to a Smithsonian website that had a nice Bridesburg pictured. Your Amoskeag is NICER than the museum piece! Wow, that is a beautiful gun. It makes me really happy to hear you shoot it too! It's not a wall hanger or safe queen. I wish these guns could talk, the history in them is incredible. Thanks for taking the time to write and post those pictures! Scott Starks

There is something not quite right about this "Original" 1861 Bridesburg Musket. The Stock is too polished to be original. The linseed oil finish should have darken with age. On the side opposite the lock plate there should be a cartouche impressed into the stock to show that the musket was inspected. The most desirable inspector was ESA, Erskine S. Allen, of Springfield Armory. That musket either has a repro stock or refinished stock.

True Blue and Diamond Hard,

Harry

It looks to me as if it may have been sanded down a bit and re-oiled. Pretty decent old gun though.

Harry, I was born in 1965. I can tell you no one worked on this gun in my lifetime. I'm not sure about the first 100 years! I have shown the rifle to a few experts here in Denver, but no one has questioned it's authenticity. On the side of the stock there are two feint letters stamped into the stock that are hard to make out. Possibly an O and an r? Very hard to make out. I will try to take another picture at a different angle.

Scott

There were many government inspectors who were signing off on the purchase contracts that were awarded to 20 subcontractors besides the Springfield armory who were building these muskets. They built more then 1 million muskets that were purchased at $20 each with bayonet and appendages if they were in A1 conformity to Springfield specifications, they would also knock the price down for quality issues. These 2 books shows all contracts issued,and the delivery dates plus how much was paid and rejected.