Original item: Only One Available. A great Civil War Long Gun, the U.S. .54 Caliber "Mississippi" Percussion Rifle was in 1841 way ahead of its time and showed stout service in the American/Mexican War. They were well-regarded, and still in arsenal as the tensions rose, culminating in the U.S. Civil War of 1861-1865. They were in a smaller caliber than desired, but with the thick barrel walls used in construction, this proved to not be an issue, as they could be re-bored to accept the now standard .58 Minié ball used by the Springfield model 1855 and 1861 muskets. However, not all examples were converted, and this rifle is still in the original .54" caliber with 7 groove rifling, confirmed by a micrometer to measure .55 to .56, with the rifling relatively worn. There is no way that this could have ever been converted to .58.

This patinated example is very nice service used condition, probably having seen service through the Civil War, and retains all of the features of a rifle that was not converted, including the rear fixed sight. It was made in 1844 in New Haven, Conn. by the famous Eli Whitney, and the lock plate is correctly marked E. WHITNEY / U.S. under the hammer and N.HAVEN / 1844 on the tail. There is no Federal Eagle marking, as is correct, and there is a small U.S. stamp on the brass butt plate tang. These were often dated on the barrel, however there is no date we can see currently, and the other proof marks are missing as well, most likely removed by the large amount of powder burn on the breech area. We checked the left side of the stock, and there are two oval inspection cartouches present, however they are too faint to read accurately.

The weapon is fully brass mounted including a brass patch box to the Butt, which was used for storage of patches and sometimes bullets, as well as spare cap nipples. This way if the nipple broke or was clogged, it could easily be replaced. It was also used to store tools such as the clearing worm and Springfield multi-tool, however the box compartment is empty on this example unfortunately.

The stock on this rifle has a lovely red brown color, and has a very nice finish, with the expected wear from age. It does show staining where the iron pins and other fittings are, and while there is no major structural damage, the wood behind the cap bolster has eroded away due to powder burn. The upper sling swivel is present, but bent, and the lower swivel is missing, as is the trigger guard bolster, probably having broken off and then been sanded down.

The cleaning rod on this example is the correct iron type with a brass tip, and looks to be original. The lock is fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full, however the hammer screw has had the head break off. We checked the bore, and the rifling is still clear, showing wear from service, with dirt and fouling in the grooves. Previous examples we have had were so used that they were almost smoothbore, so this is definitely a very good example!

An early U.S. issue rifle, made by the famous Eli Whitney and never converted to .58 Minié by Union forces for use in the Civil War. With the amount of wear on this rifle, it is definitely possible that it was used by Confederate forces during the war. In really nice Collector's Condition and ready to research and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1844
Caliber: .54 inches - 7 groove rifling
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder with Percussion Cap
Barrel Length: 33 inches
Overall Length: 48 3/4 inches
Action: Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

History of the M1841 "Mississippi Rifle"

The M1841 Mississippi rifle is a muzzle-loading percussion rifle used in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.  When Eli Whitney Blake took over management of the Harpers Ferry Armory in 1842, he set about tooling up under his new contract from the U.S. government for making the model 1841 percussion rifle. Machinery and fixtures for making the 1822 contract flintlock musket had to be retooled or replaced in order to produce the lock and barrel of the new model. Whitney, Jr. had the good sense to hire Thomas Warner as foreman, who, as master armorer at Springfield Armory, had just been making the same kind of major changes there. Thomas Warner had spearheaded the drive to equip the Springfield Armory with a set of new, more precise machines and a system of gauging that made it possible for the first time to achieve, in the late 1840s, the long-desired goal of interchangeability of parts in military small arms. Under his tutelage, Eli Whitney, Jr. equipped the Whitney Armory to do likewise.

The nickname "Mississippi" originated in the Mexican–American War when future Confederate president Jefferson Davis was appointed Colonel of the Mississippi Rifles, a volunteer regiment from the state of Mississippi. Colonel Davis sought to arm his regiment with the Model 1841 rifles. At this time, smoothbore muskets were still the primary infantry weapon and any unit with rifles was considered special and designated as such. Davis clashed with his commanding officer, General Winfield Scott, who said that the weapons were insufficiently tested and refused the request. Davis took his case to the President James Knox Polk who agreed with Davis that his men be armed with them. The incident was the start of a lifelong feud between Davis and Scott.

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