Help I.D. a "Colt" Musket (Pics)

[XxWINxX94]

Hello everyone,
I've got the age-old "Inherited a gun collection" thing going here and I need your help. I have a 3-band "Colt" 1861 musket which I believe to be a replica of a manufacture I cannot identify. This gun is in very good shape, apart from a large 3'' scratch on the left side of the buttplate, and normal blackpowder wear/tear.

I do not believe it is a Colt-made black powder, because I cannot find anything on it. It also seems in far too good condition to be an original Colt model 1861.

It is .58 Caliber, I would say a 52'' barrel, large percussion cap, 3 barrel bands, not sure if it has rifleing and has 3 flip up sights. The lockplate says: U.S. Colt's SPTF A.MFG Co. Hartford, CT. Barrel has S/N 266x and "Sam Colt" is signed on the underside of the triggerguard.

If anyone has any hints or any ideas let me know, more pictures avaliable if nessicary.

Thanks!
~Al~

 

[arcticap]

My local gun shop has a Colt Blackpowder Arms musket for sale. I think that they were made for Colt under license.
Here's a post about a Colt 1861 Signature Series Musket:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=5174419&postcount=4

And there's 2 other references to a Colt Special or hybrid musket in the same thread:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=414575&highlight=Colt+musket

And also one that's .50 caliber:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=466057&highlight=Colt+musket

 

[XxWINxX94]

I see, Thanks for the information. I was a little confused because I couldn't find anything like mine on gunbroker, or in the blue book. I will have to look for "Signature" series instead of just "musket."

Thanks!

 

[AlexanderA]

The "Sam Colt" signature on the trigger guard is the dead giveaway. What you have is an Italian reproduction, not an original. Colt marketed these as Colt-made (I have one myself) but they weren't. They were made by Armi Sport (Armi Chiappa) in Italy. At most, Colt assembled and put the finishing touches on the Armi Sport parts in the U.S., though I'm not sure even of that much. Like the originals, these have Enfield-design internal lock parts. Externally, they look like Springfield Model 1863, Type I muskets.

If you put one of these side-by-side with an original, the differences are obvious. For one thing, the barrel and the stock forend are noticably heavier. (This is the common problem with all the current Armi Sport and Euroarms repro Civil War muskets.) The best repro 1861's and 1863's were made by Miroku in Japan, but they're not readily available any more.

Nevertheless, the ersatz Colt M1861 Specials, if in good condition, are worth in the high 100's of dollars. ($800 - $1,000, I would say.)

 

[mykeal]

A 52" barrel?

 

[XxWINxX94]

No sorry, its actually around a 40'' barrel and around 54'' overall. Thats what I get for guesstimating barrel lengths.