Make: U.S. Harpers Ferry

Model: 1855 Rifle Musket (Maynard Tape Primer)

Serial Number: NSNV

Year of Manufacture: 1858 / Antique

Caliber: .58 Caliber, Percussion

Action Type: Single Shot, Muzzleloading Percussion Rifle with Maynard Tape Primer

Barrel Length: 40”

Sights / Optics: The rifle is equipped with the correct pattern long range rear leaf sight mounted on the barrel and a fixed front sight blade.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The rifle is stocked in a one-piece walnut military stock with straight grip, full-length forend, three barrel bands, lockplate, two sling loops, and a steel buttplate. The stock shows handling marks, small compressions, and honest service wear consistent with age and military use. There are scattered gouges. There is a crack on the left side of the stock at the chamber to the screw. The wood to metal fit remains solid, and the stock presents in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Bright Armory Finish (Originally)

Finish Originality: Original finish remaining with natural aging and patina

Bore Condition: The bore shows age consistent wear. The bore is dull with visible rifling. There is scattered erosion but no significant pitting. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 6/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains a pleasing, even patina across the metal surfaces with scattered light oxidation and handling wear typical of a Civil War period firearm. The lock markings remain clear and legible. The metal has mellowed to a soft gray tone, and the brass nose cap shows attractive age coloration. There is intermittent erosion and areas of fine pitting. The screws show expected service wear but remain serviceable with strong slots. Overall, this rifle rates in Very Good condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The hammer holds at half cock but not at full cock, otherwise the action functions correctly. The Maynard tape primer mechanism is present. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used antique firearms, a thorough inspection and cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: Adopted in 1855 as the first standard U.S. service rifle designed specifically for the new .58 caliber Minié ball, the Model 1855 represented a significant technological step forward for the United States Army. Produced at Harpers Ferry and Springfield, the 1855 introduced the innovative Maynard tape primer system, an attempt to streamline percussion ignition by automatically advancing a priming strip with each cock of the hammer. Although the system proved mechanically delicate in field conditions, its presence marks this rifle as a true transitional arm between the pre-war percussion era and the mass mobilization of the Civil War.

This example, dated 1858 and manufactured at Harpers Ferry, falls into early production and would have been among the rifles carried into the opening engagements of the American Civil War. By the time of Fort Sumter and the First Battle of Manassas, rifles of this pattern were already in Federal arsenals and militia hands. The .58 caliber cartridge, firing the expanding Minié ball, dramatically increased effective range and lethality compared to earlier smoothbore muskets, changing the character of infantry combat across the conflict.

With its original lock markings, intact Maynard tape primer system, and honest service wear, this rifle stands as a tangible artifact of the turbulent years leading into the Civil War. It embodies the industrial capability of the federal armories and the technological experimentation of the era.