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Rare Presentation Grade Civil War Era Burnside Sporting Rifle Missing from even the Most Advanced Civil War Collections
The last government purchase of the carbines
from the company was on February 12, 1865, for
800 carbines and appendages per page 94 of “The
Burnside Breech Loading Carbines” by Edward A.
Hull, and the rifle was likely manufactured around
that time. They continued to deliver Spencer Model
1865 carbines until October 27, 1865 and also tried
to release their own repeating rifle design. Unable to
continue on as an arms manufacturer, the company
made a successful transition to manufacturing
locomotives in the fall of 1865 and became the Rhode Island
Locomotive Works in 1867. Ambrose Burnside had sold his shares in the
company before it became profitable as an arms manufacturer, but he
became the company’s president again in 1866. While he unfortunately made
little to no profit off the guns that bear his name, the company’s first locomotive
was named after him. Burnside also famously served as the first president of the National Rifle Association in 1871. The organization was formed to promote marksmanship, and a fine rifle like this would have been a fitting piece for Burnside himself.
This incredibly rare rifle features a globe front sight, notch and folding ladder rear sight, George P. Foster’s patented breech-latch, hand selected high grade fancy walnut stock and forearm with piano finish, and a pewter forend cap. The rifle has “BURNSIDE RIFLE CO/PROVIDENCE=R.I.” on the lock and a faint Burnside patent marking on the top of the frame. Interestingly, the patent date is usually only found on the earlier carbine models. The bottom of the barrel, breechblock, and front of the action are marked with “4” which may be a serial or assembly number. The number “22767” is marked on the breech block (hidden underneath the ejector mechanism), indicating it is a part from the Civil War production line. The few surviving examples
of Burnside sporting rifles are also known to lack numbers in the traditional serial number location on top of the frame. This rare rifle and at least
one other Burnside sporting rifle have the obvious 5th Model breechblock guide screw patented by George Bacon. This improvement represents the completion of the evolution of General Ambrose Burnside’s ingenious design and was implemented during Civil War production due to complaints from soldiers using the previous models having troubles manipulating the breechblock and confirms that this rifle would have been manufactured during the war or just after its conclusion.
CONDITION: Very fine. The barrel retains 90% of the original blue finish and has some smooth brown patina where the finish has faded. The frame, lever, and buttplate retain 50% plus mellow, original case colors and a blend of gray and brown patina. The upper tang retains nearly all of the original bright blue finish, and the breech retains the majority of the niter blue. The deluxe wood is very good with some scuffs and scratches and a small crack on the upper edge of the forearm on the right near the pewter cap. The markings are crisp with exception noted above, and the action is mechanically fine. This sporting rifle is certainly among the finest of the small number of surviving examples and would make an exceptional addition to any collection of antique American firearms and especially an American Civil War collection.
Estimate: 5,000 - 7,500
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