1863 FAYETTEVILLE RIFLE

1863 Dated Fayetteville Rifle. SOLD

When Harper's Ferry Armory was captured by the Virginia forces, arms making machinery went south and used to equip two southern armories.  The machinery for the 1855 rifle musket went to Richmond and production started on Richmond Rifle Muskets.  The machinery for the 1855 rifle production went to Fayetteville NC where the confederacy produced  2 band rifles.  The lock was redesigned, but the basic features come from the 1855 rifle.  Production continued through the war.  Though numbers produced were much less than the Richmond rifle musket, the Fayetteville rifle was a well made southern rifle.

This example is dated 1863 on the lock and has a clear Fayetteville mark on the lockplate.  In 1863 the bayonet was changed from a saber bayonet to a socket bayonet.  The saber bayonet lug was omitted and front sight was changed to one similar to a rifle musket front sight.  This example has the rifle front sight and the dovetail for the saber bayonet lug is visible.  The lug itself was removed.  With the exception of the ramrod the rifle is all Fayetteville parts.  I removed the rear sight and the notch is correct for a Fayetteville.   The rear of the barrel and the lock have medium to heavy pitting on the metal.  The wood is full length, solid and sound.  It has some sanding on the flats.  

This example was stored poorly and has pitting on the lock and barrel.  That being said the rifle is untouched and all original except for the ramrod.  There are no repairs to the metal or wood.  The rear sight is original - note the picture of the barrel with the rear sight removed.  The inside of the lock looks all original.  The bore even has pretty good rifling.  

SOLD