RARE PUBLISHED CONFEDERATE TEXAS TYLER ORDNANCE WORKS RIFLE

RARE PUBLISHED CONFEDERATE TEXAS TYLER ORDNANCE WORKS RIFLE

01-24688
CAL 57
S# 814

WORKS RIFLE. 45.5″ overall, 30.5″ unmarked 3 land & groove rifled barrel. This Texas rifle is the only 1865 dated survivor documented and is one of only a handful of complete examples known. Records from Tyler Ordnance Works are fairly complete (in national Archives) and we can ascertain this was one rifle likely assembled January 1865 as one of about 70 “short rifles” utilizing 30.5″ turned down sporting barrel and rifling to .577 that were in inventory but not used till military barrels were gone. Rifle appears original and complete made without sights, the front band is grooved for sighting. Lock is stamped “TEXAS RIFLE / TYLER CAL 57” forward of hammer, large “CS” over 1865 stamped vertically at tail, internally serial numbered “814”. This rifle is pictured & described in detail in John Murphy & Howard Madaus exemplary 1996 text “Confederate Rifles & Musketoons” pages 690 & 691. Rifle has the characteristic skinny iron 2-piece iron trigger guard and characteristic short tang butt plate associated with every Tyler rifle. Iron barrel bands are friction fit on characteristic light-colored orange hued locally sourced Holly wood which was wood of last result for these last produced Texas rifles. Lock is retained by single screw in large iron Enfield style escutcheon, characteristic of other survivors.
This is a solid “as found” survivor with good markings and one of few published in Murphy & Madaus.

UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: copies of pages from the two books this rifle is pictured and described.
CONDITION: very good overall, sound complete example with good markings, stock has hand worn patina, mechanically functional, good discernible rifled bore. PROVENANCE: Don Bryan collection, Private Southern collection.

STATUS: ANTIQUE