- Joined
- Mar 8, 2010
- Messages
- 165
- Reaction score
- 151
A gent brought in two Springfields. A 1858 and an 1863.. Both were pretty much uncared for, but mostly intact.
Family heirlooms I was told, from great, great, great grandpaps service in the Civil War.
The 1863 was still loaded.
I had to replace a few screws and get a broken stub from a lock bolt out of the 63's lock plate.
Did the respectful strip and cleans, unbreeched the '63, and removed powder and wadding, carefully scrubbed
off the white paint spatters (always found on 'garage guns').
When I went to remove the rust from the barrels, I discovered that they had been bored smooth...no rifling left.
Oh boy.
These were not Grandpaps war guns, these were surplus Civil War Springfields, that Bannerman's had gotten, and
bored the barrels out to turn them into shotguns, and sold in the 1870's and 1880's.
It is not for me to ruin the family lore of this man and his father, by explaining that these were purchased after the War,
and had no military connection. These were presented to my shop by the young gentleman (anyone under 60 is young to me)
for restoration for his father's upcoming birthday.
Sometimes silence is golden, sigh.
Family heirlooms I was told, from great, great, great grandpaps service in the Civil War.
The 1863 was still loaded.
I had to replace a few screws and get a broken stub from a lock bolt out of the 63's lock plate.
Did the respectful strip and cleans, unbreeched the '63, and removed powder and wadding, carefully scrubbed
off the white paint spatters (always found on 'garage guns').
When I went to remove the rust from the barrels, I discovered that they had been bored smooth...no rifling left.
Oh boy.
These were not Grandpaps war guns, these were surplus Civil War Springfields, that Bannerman's had gotten, and
bored the barrels out to turn them into shotguns, and sold in the 1870's and 1880's.
It is not for me to ruin the family lore of this man and his father, by explaining that these were purchased after the War,
and had no military connection. These were presented to my shop by the young gentleman (anyone under 60 is young to me)
for restoration for his father's upcoming birthday.
Sometimes silence is golden, sigh.