Detritus
Member
First off My wife adn i have spent the past three days in houston, the reason, wife is acting as the "DOW Chem rep" for a co-worker injured on the job (severe burns) and as such has been assigned to stay at the hospital and get paid for keeping said co-worker compnay and making sure the family is taken care of during the stay..
well today for a couple of reasons we decided to get lunch away from the hospital AND see the, Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. well first impressions, it's too small for the importance i believe those it comemerates have played in our national history, but the staff is doing a great job with what they have.
since we were the only visitors we got a guided step by step tour of the place, and it was very interesting (by the museums founder no less). during the course of the tour i made two comments on seperate displays (a No4 Mk1 enfield being billed a "ww1 era rifle" , and saying that i thought a sword labeled "unknown type" was a M1913 "Patton" Saber) the guide said, "thanks for the info, after the tour i'll show you something we just got in that i think oyu might enjoy seeing
....
well we finished the tour, he walks over to the little cramped office stuffed to the gills with paperwork and things that needed cataloging, etc, picks up what at first appears to be a Springfield musket, he comes a bit closer i see the trapdoor at the breech, and then he sets the thing in my hands.. i get to looking at the gun and it markings...
lockplate market "springfield, 1863"
the trapdoor (that the right term?) is marked "1866"
at this point it hits me this man has just handed me a 2nd model Allin conversion!! and the only things i can see wrong wit the thing are the front most barrel band being missing and a portion of the rear sight (assuming it retains the three leaf style of the musket from which it was converted) as well. over-all in better shape than many mil-surp types of more Modern vintage.
guys i'd never SEEN much less HELD one of the 50-70 trapdoors before.
THEN he says "oh btw the gentleman who donated this rifle thinks that this is the original bayonet that was issued with it" ..
i don't know about you guys, but being handed, and allowed to hold, examine, (ok i'll admit it) FONDLE, a piece of history like that, it gave me goosebumps!
i would LOVE to know where that rifle has/had been, who carried it, all that i really do wish that old guns like that could talk, that they could relate their stories like the old warriors they are.
just had to share, i've been at least mildly blissed ever since.
well today for a couple of reasons we decided to get lunch away from the hospital AND see the, Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. well first impressions, it's too small for the importance i believe those it comemerates have played in our national history, but the staff is doing a great job with what they have.
since we were the only visitors we got a guided step by step tour of the place, and it was very interesting (by the museums founder no less). during the course of the tour i made two comments on seperate displays (a No4 Mk1 enfield being billed a "ww1 era rifle" , and saying that i thought a sword labeled "unknown type" was a M1913 "Patton" Saber) the guide said, "thanks for the info, after the tour i'll show you something we just got in that i think oyu might enjoy seeing
....well we finished the tour, he walks over to the little cramped office stuffed to the gills with paperwork and things that needed cataloging, etc, picks up what at first appears to be a Springfield musket, he comes a bit closer i see the trapdoor at the breech, and then he sets the thing in my hands.. i get to looking at the gun and it markings...
lockplate market "springfield, 1863"
the trapdoor (that the right term?) is marked "1866"
at this point it hits me this man has just handed me a 2nd model Allin conversion!! and the only things i can see wrong wit the thing are the front most barrel band being missing and a portion of the rear sight (assuming it retains the three leaf style of the musket from which it was converted) as well. over-all in better shape than many mil-surp types of more Modern vintage.
guys i'd never SEEN much less HELD one of the 50-70 trapdoors before.
THEN he says "oh btw the gentleman who donated this rifle thinks that this is the original bayonet that was issued with it" ..
i don't know about you guys, but being handed, and allowed to hold, examine, (ok i'll admit it) FONDLE, a piece of history like that, it gave me goosebumps!
i would LOVE to know where that rifle has/had been, who carried it, all that i really do wish that old guns like that could talk, that they could relate their stories like the old warriors they are.
just had to share, i've been at least mildly blissed ever since.
