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1863 Springfield value

Dave45-70
I recently looked at an 1863 Springfield musket and without a picture it's just my description to go on. It has been rebarreled(no markings)and is now 45 cal. The stock is good with one small repair, the lock and the rest of hardware on the rifle appears original.There is no rust and the stamps on the lock are crisp.Was 45 the original caliber or was it 58 cal.? I was asked to make an offer but I don't have a clue, any advice will be appreciated.
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  • JohnnyBGood
    quote:Originally posted by DBuesching
    I recently looked at an 1863 Springfield musket and without a picture it's just my description to go on. It has been rebarreled(no markings)and is now 45 cal. The stock is good with one small repair, the lock and the rest of hardware on the rifle appears original.There is no rust and the stamps on the lock are crisp.Was 45 the original caliber or was it 58 cal.? I was asked to make an offer but I don't have a clue, any advice will be appreciated.



    Is it a muzzleloader or breechloader? The 1863 Springfield was orignally a .58 caliber muzzleloader. However, many were converted to the "Trapdoor" breechloading system by Springfield Armory in calibers .58 Rimfire and 50-70 centerfire prior to the Model 1873 being introduced and made in 45-70 caliber.

    There are some Bubba jobs out there where people have mixed 45-70 barreled actions with 50-70 stocks and hardware. For this rifle to be orignal it should not have an 1863 dated lock with a 45 caliber barrel. So, off the top of my head and without additional information or photos, I would venture that it is a parts gun and the value would be the sum of its parts.

    EDIT: You will note that I refrained from giving a value, simply because we do not have enough information nor photos to arrive at a fair estimate. However, since two members have given you a value of $150 I will offer the following. If the lock assembly is crisp and functional, that alone could be worth $150-200. A full length stock, even with some repairs (if well done) $200+. An original rear sight, $75. A full length ramrod, $100+. A set of three barrel bands, $75.

    So, while you may have a composition piece made up of mostly reproduction parts that is worth $150, you could also have something valued at $500+.

    More information/photos are necessary to determine which it is you have.

    John
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  • gary wray
    DBuesching...without photos its hard to tell. But .58 was the caliber so a rebarrel makes it uninteresting to a collector which hurts value. Stock repair is also not good. Perhaps it would be interesting to a young Civil War reenactor who is just getting started. Value? Without photo, I wouldn't give more than $150 or so, depending on the quality of that pesky stock repair. Now if it had a special history to it that could be proven, that would make a bit of a difference (or its bayonet) but quite frankly many of the real deals are available so this one probably would end up on the wall. Good shooting!
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  • Spider7115
    To a collector, it's no more than a parts gun. $150 tops.
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