This rifle is among the rarest of U.S. martial arms in existence. In summary of the manufacturing story on this Model, only about 700 of the brass-mounted guns were not burned up in the fire at Harpers Ferry in early 1861, having been issued prior to that event. This rifle is in fine if not better condition and has a strong bore and is mostly smooth, with only the smallest amount of roughness in the bolster area of the breech. The stock is at least fine, with but a minimum of the obligatory small bumps and bruises, and no real damage. The lock is marked 1858 at the tail and U.S./HARPERS FERRY in front of the hammer. The breech area has a V/P/Eagle on the left flat, but only the faintest remnant of a date remains. The crosshair front sight is in its compartment in the patchbox and the saber bayonet lug is intact and undamaged. This piece is a nice example of a rifle that was used by both sides during the Civil War, 700 of them having been sent South prior to the Civil War. This piece is most likely on of those, being marked on the underside of the barrel with a VII Roman Numeral and a strong JB cartouche on the left side of the stock opposite the lockplate. According to some sources, this is the cartouche of James Burton, the man who began the rifle-making activities of the famous Richmond Arsenal early in the War. The VII marking has long been associated with some sort of Confederate Arsenal repair or replacement activity with weapons of all kinds.
Many collectors are familiar with the highly sought after the South Carolina Happoldt alteration to the Mississippi rifle, wherein the rifle was fitted with a saber bayonet lug. Most collectors are completely unfamiliar with a similar alteration that was made in the Virginia theater of the Civil War. In the landmark work, Confederate Rifles and Muskets, Murphy and Madaus point out the characteristics of this rare variant on pages 348-358. The rear sight dimensions and location on this rifle is exactly as described on page 357, as are the bayonet lug and front sight sizes and locations. The front sight is somewhat cruder than would be expected of a factory product, exhibiting a casting flaw on one side and file finishing all around. The bayonet lug is also of a more crude construction, and the guide is not brazed to the barrel, but the lug is crudely dovetailed and brazed as shown in the photos. Murphy and Madaus were of the opinion that the bayonet lug with guide was similar to work attributed to William and Cyrus Fisher of Lynchburg, Virginia on an existing altered Model 1817 musket. The bayonet that fit this gun was unknown at the time of the writing of the Murphy and Madaus book, but a Cook and Brother bayonet exists whose guide and lug slots appear to match up to this Mississippi perfectly. If you want a true Confederate product without mortgaging the farm, this rifle may be the answer, particularly if you have a Cook and Brother bayonet with a Mississippi-sized bore in it.
