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1855 Mississippi Percussion Rifle .58 Caliber?
milsurplus
Member Posts: 221 ✭✭✭
Who manufactures the best 1855 Mississippi Percussion Rifle .58 Caliber aka 'Jaeger Rifle'; ArmiSport, EuroArms, or is there another perhaps, best would be in terms of quality, functionality, durability and accuracy?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Comments
Originally came with a .54 cal barrel. Some were later updated to .58 cal. (Harpers Ferry c. 1855)
I've always favored Whitney Armory versions.
The "Jaeger Rifle" is what is known as a Pennsylvania or Kentucky rifle. Flint Lock and Percussion Cap versions were made. These are not the same rifle.
The "Mississippi" had a round barrel 33" long with a 1:66 twist.
While the Jaeger may have been rifled in .45, .50, .54 cal, it had a hexagonal barrel.
Make sure you know which rifle you want.
I wanted to know which company makes a better reproduction ArmiSport, EuroArms, or perhaps another company?...
Thanks.
Actually the mississippi rifle was also referred to as the "Windsor", "Whitney," "Harpers Ferry Rifle" and the "Jaeger" as well.
I wanted to know which company makes a better reproduction ArmiSport, EuroArms, or perhaps another company?...
Thanks.
If it were my money I'd buy a British made Parker Hale 1858 two band musket reproduction and call it a day (which is what I've done 4 times 2-2 band and 2-3 band).
Both Armi Sport and Euroarms have had bad batches of rifles produced from time to time. Taylor used to sell a 1841 but it appears they no longer do. Contact Dixie Gun works and ask them their opinion.
Dixie sells a 1841 Mississippi. Ask about a warranty. For almost 900 bucks you should get something in writing.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=889
I don't know where you are getting your information about the names but it is incorrect.
A "Windsor" is a Robbins & Lawrence, Windsor Conn, produced Enfield 1852 three band musket made under contract for the British govt.
As already posted a 1855 Harpers Ferry Musket is vastly different then a Model 1841 US Rifle.
Since many different rifles were produced at Harpers Ferry Armory starting in 1799 and the Model 1841 became known as the "Mississippi rifle" because of it's use by the Mississippi Riflemen under Jefferson Davis in the Mexican - American war of 1846, I doubt that any historian worth his salt ever called a Model 1841 a "Harpers Ferry Rifle".
"Jaeger" rifles date back to the 1700s and are German in origin. While some people think that a muzzle loader is a muzzle loader is a muzzle loader, I'm sure you know the difference between a flint lock and a percussion rifle. As I'm sure you know the difference between a 1/2 stock rifle and a full stocked US military musket. I don't know your source(s) but I doubt their validity.
Edit: Here's some background info. I was hot after a 1841 Mississippi repop right after Cabela's stopped selling them (my timing is like that). This was 1998 or so. I looked hard at every model I came across and even know a guy that knew Val from Navy Arms. Val brought several to the Ohio Gun Collectors show soon after and I was greatly disappointed in all aspects of those samples. They were light, the fit and finish was real bad (I was an Engineer so that's a pet peeve) and I thought they'd be good for scrap. The spring of 1999 I had the luck to be at Cabela's Minn store and as luck would have it, there was a Mississippi in the "bargain Den". It was beautiful, weighed what a musket should weigh and they wouldn't let me ship it home. No amount of pointing out it was a black powder musket would help either. That one too slipped away. That's when I tripped over the Parker Hales (1984 Gun Digest IIRC) and the hunt was on. Navy Arms got their hooks into that operation and shipped the British gauges and tooling to Italy. Now, the Italians make some fine arms, but an actual English made Reproduction, NOT copy, was more then I could wish for. Well, the finer things in life cost a bit more then standard rif-raf, so I paid the price for a few P-Hs. I've never had a moment of sorrow over that.
Good luck with your quest. Oh, and thanks for the reading material.
I keep getting mixed opinions on both the ArmiSport and EuroArms however I have talked to Dixie GunWorks (which is a great place to do business with), but they only carry the .54 caliber 1841 Mississippi Rifle and not the 1855 .58 caliber conversion type and it is from EuroArms anyway.
Dixie GunWorks did say though that they haven't had any problems with the Mississippi Rifles from EuroArms however, guess I could just take my chances and return it if it isn't quality.
As for the mississippi rifle being referred to as a "Windsor", "Whitney," "Harpers Ferry Rifle" and the "Jaeger" as well, dont know why although there is a good amount of info on the subject and I didn't come up with it and was only presenting what was found, but if your an expert and you know that its wrong then so be it; however apparently there are several references to it and apparently dates back to the time of that era in the way that it is referred too and here are some references to the subject...
http://www.friends.usafalibrary.com/newsletters/Clark_firearms.pdf
http://civilwartalk.com/forums/civil-war-weapons-ammunition/28009-m1841-mississippi-rifle.html
http://www.jedediah-starr.com/closeup.asp?cid=2&pid=84&offset=0
Also Navy Arms sold the 1841 Mississippi Rifle in .54 caliber and the 1855 .58 caliber conversion of the Mississippi Rifle as well and made the same claim that the Mississippi Rifle was also referred to as the 'Jaeger Rifle'; however all this is completely beside the point as these forums often seem to do and really doesn't have to do with my question and is off the topic...
Anyway I will continue to try and find a good repro 1855 Mississippi Percussion Rifle in .58 Caliber, but will check out the Parker Hales as well, too bad there doesn't seem to be an American made Mississippi Rifle.
As for the reading material your quite welcome, I found it an interesting read as well along with some good pics too.
Regards.