Lot 73

U.S. Civil War Colt Model 1861 Special Percussion Rifle-Musket

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U.S. Civil War Colt Model 1861 Special Percussion Rifle-Musket

Estimate: $4,000 - $6,500

Starting Bid: $3,500

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
June 27, 2026 5:00 PM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Exceptional U.S. Civil War Contract Colt Model 1861 Special Percussion Rifle-Musket Though Colt's revolvers are more often associated with the company's contributions to the Union war effort, the Model 1861 rifle-muskets would have been more important on the battlefields. Most of the fighting during the Civil War was done by infantrymen with muzzleloading rifle-muskets. Colt manufactured approximately 100,000 of these rifle-muskets in 1861-1865. Colt's "Model 1861 Special Muskets" were based largely on the British Pattern 1853 rifle-muskets and were built with machinery previously used by Robins & Lawrence to manufacture rifles for the British. The folding leaf rear sight design used on Colt's rifle-muskets is very similar to the design adopted for the Springfield Model 1861, and the U.S. Springfield Model 1863 also adopted other aspects of the Colt design. This high condition example has the standard markings and features and is dated "1863" on the lock and barrel and has crisp "DAP" and "JT" cartouches on the left stock flat.

Manufacturer: Colt

Model: 1861

BBL: 40 inch round

Stock: walnut

Gauge: 58

Finish: bright

Serial NumberNSN

Class: Antique

  • Condition: Excellent, nearly as issued, overall with a coat of dried oil/varnish over the otherwise bright metal, nearly all of the original blue on the rear sight, casehardened replacement hammer, and generally only minor storage related wear on the metal and wood. Mechanically excellent.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000