Civil War Blunderbus?

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macmuffy

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Pic Is of one of my g-g-grandfathers. Family can't tell me any thing about him as to which side he fought on and of course nothing on the firearm.

Looks a lot like a flintlock blunderbus but could be a Gustauv m1911 for all I know.

Am really curious as to the firearm, but any other info would be a bonus.
I have a larger pic and will e-mail it if asked.
Thanks for your input

http://members.cox.net/alphafrog/GGGranPa1.jpg
 
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Looks to me like an ordinary .69 rifled muzzleloader typical of the war. What I think you're mistaking for a belled muzzle looks like a swivel to me. The actual muzzle of the piece with the end of its ramrod visible is level with the bottom of the second button on the greatcoat.

Fine looking chap, no matter which side he was on- you're very lucky to have the photo. I have nothing to remember any of my great-greats by, save photocopies of some of their service and pension records. I seem to be descended from the only privates, corporals and sergeants to serve the Confederacy, everyone else's ancestors were at least captains 8^)- from what everyone says, that is.

lpl/nc
 
Doesn't look like a military uniform to me. Hat isn't a kepi or forage cap. Generally military pictures had a military background (think tents). This has an outdoor scene. Overcoat doesn't look military to me. BTW, Blunderbus were out for the Civil War. It may have been used by Civilians in home guard units (the Brown Bess was dragged out for guarding Yankee prisoners at Andersonville) but not by any front line infantry.

Suggest you post it at http://www.civilwarguns.com/board or http://www.n-ssa.org/bb/index.php
 
Looks like a standard mil rifle of that era. Could be 54, 58, or 69. Appears to have shiny trigger guard and swivels..possibly brass, so it might have been a Zouve.

Lee, my great gran was a 3rd Lt. in a N.C. unit. Went in as a corporal, soon became a Sgt and then 3rd. Prob what we'd call Master Sgt today? Family lore had him as a Capt till I checked some records in the local library.
 
My impression is that the gun is a standard .58 rifle-musket, probably a Model 1855 or 1861. The trigger guard and lock would have been bright steel, not brass. It looks like the bayonet was put on the muzzle reversed, with the blade hidden by the barrel of the musket. I can't tell what the bright oval that looks like a large muzzle is, but none of the common CW muskets had a swivel in that area, so one guess is as good as another.

One point to note on CW photos. Photographers set up shop near army camps and took photos of soldiers to send home. Since soldiers were usually not allowed to take issue weapons "off post", the photographers provided the pistols, knives, cutlasses, swords, and muskets needed to give the rawest recruit a suitably warlike appearance. Sometimes the "prop" weapons were newly bought, or obsolete junk, or whatever the photographer happened to have. This has led some historians looking at photos to believe that the pictured soldier's unit was armed with Navy cutlasses, Henry rifles or flintlock muskets, when that was not the case.

Jim
 
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