First Post Identification Help

[wildman1159]

Brother inherited this and would like to know a little about it. He said it has been hanging over a doorway for at least 60 years. It is a 74 caliber with a 32" rifled barrel with an additional 1.25" breech block. Hopefully the pictures will provide enough information with the markings seen. Most parts have a #293 stamped on it with the letters "JR"  and "CS". The rifle has been disassembled to clean and inspect condition. Any and all information would be appreciated. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of this board, Wildman

[Daryl]

Welcome to the forum, wildman. 
It would have been nice to see the gun together, both sides, etc, not must in parts.

[wildman1159]

Thanks for the welcome, Daryl. I will post a pic of gun all together once the barrel has been thoroughly cleaned and the rifle re-assembled.

[mbriggs]

If this turns out to be a Confederate rifle, cleaning or restoring it will have a very negative effect on value of the rifle.  Longrifles in my experience, are a different story. With them, competent restoration will add to the value.

It takes many years for items like this have a lot of patina.  I have seen many items including rifles, swords, and powder horns, that have had all of the patina taken off in a misguided attempt to make the item look new.  I have been guilty of this myself before I learned better.

I would suggest you put it back together as is and take it to a knowledgeable Civil War dealer like Shannon Pritchard in Richmond for identification and value.  Get a copy of North South Trader Magazine and you will find a list of dealers that can help you.

Best of Luck,

Michael

[wildman1159]

Thanks for the wisdom Michael and I will do just that. Contacting Pritchard's in Richmond might be a little difficult for face to face but I will contact him.

[wildman1159]

Daryl, Here is the rifle from both sides

[Clark Badgett]

In the configuration that it is in, I don't think it is confederate, but it could be or it could have been faked over the years with a random CS stamp. That does happen a lot. There are some features that make me think P41(or is it P42) Enfield. Some parts of it make think it from other parts of Europe. That front band is the most unusual as well as the keys. Am I imagining things or has the metal been painted black?

[Hlbly]

Looks like an Austrian import with some modifications to me.

[Pukka Bundook]

The screw holes in the trigger-guard would not be there originally I don't think.
Is there evidence where the lugs were removed from the guard?

Austrian in the family tree I think, but the guard looks more British but altered??

Interesting to me, is the large calibre rifled barrel.  This should narrow it down a good bit.
Thank you for posting it,  Wildman!

[Clowdis]

Probably Austrian and maybe Confederate. The problem with items marked "CS" is that so many fakes have been made through the years that collectors became afraid of them and actually caused the bottom to fall out of the collector values.