Scarce ROBERTS CONVERSION Antique U.S. SAVAGE M1861 Rifle-Musket CIVIL WAR .58 Caliber Rimfire PROVIDENCE TOOL COMPANY

Description:
Scarce ROBERTS CONVERSION Antique U.S. SAVAGE M1861 Rifle-Musket CIVIL WAR

.58 Caliber Rimfire PROVIDENCE TOOL COMPANY

Here Ancestry Guns presents a scarce antique Roberts Conversion of a Savage Revolving Fire Arms Company U.S. Contract Model 1861 Civil War Rifle-Musket, made in 1864 in Middletown, Connecticut, and converted by the Providence Tool Company in Providence, Rhode Island circa 1869-70.

The musket was converted to a breech loading cartridge rifle by the Roberts Conversion System. Union General Benjamin S. Roberts invented the conversion system, which utilized his own .58 Roberts center fire cartridge, and submitted samples produced under his patents to the United States Ordnance Board breech loading rifle trials. Those trials that eventually chose the Allin conversion system to modify the existing stock of U.S. muzzle loading rifle muskets to breech loading cartridge rifles. While the United States Ordnance Bureau did not adopt the Roberts system, the State of New York was suitably impressed during their own breech loading rifle trials and in 1867 placed and order with Roberts for 10,000 of the altered rifle muskets. Roberts contracted with the Providence Tool Company of Providence, Rhode Island to fabricate the necessary parts and perform the alteration to the muskets.

Unfortunately, in 1869 the New York legislature refused to fund the purchase, leaving Roberts on the hook for the work already performed by Providence Tool, which included 2,000 completed arms. Roberts quickly searched for a new buyer and managed to arrange a contract with the State of South Carolina to purchase 5,000 of the altered guns to arm their National Guard regiments. The Providence Tool Company also sold a number of the altered muskets to France in wake of the Franco Prussian War, and apparently many of these arms were P-1853 Enfields that had likely been in store in New York State Arsenals and had been intended to be part of the original New York conversion contract. The vast majority of the alterations were performed on Springfield (and contract makers) U.S. Model 1861 and Model 1863/64 Rifle Muskets.

The overall condition is good. Original gray patina. The stock is solid with light handling wear. Cartouche remnants are on the left wrist. Legible, clear markings. Absent ramrod. The action is strong. Mirror-bright bore with sharp rifling.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 37-3/4 inches.

Caliber: .58 Rimfire

Overall condition as seen in photos.

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$3550

#259368
 

Antique: Yes

Price: $3,550.00
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