Crazy Bob, Why do you feel it has been rebarreled? I had at first thought it was a flint converted barrel utilized as the one pictured in CONFEDERATE RIFLES AND MUSKET" built by Alabama gun works as it did appear to have a vent hole plugged on the side of the barrel. I had thought they may have used an 1817 common rifle barrel but the rifling is not even close to the 1817 as this barrel is in .54 rifled with seven lands and grooves and has a pretty nice bore.
Louie told me he couldn't see how they pulled that much metal up into the cone for the nipple as was done on the early U.S. flint conversions. Does anyone know how the bolster was made on the U.S. model 1841 Mississippi rifle? Was it milled on or what. I had thought this may be manufactured from captured Harper's Ferry stock and barrel. The patch box mortice is cut out and the thin layer of wood cover is as old as the stock matches in color. Maybe they simply ran out of patch box brass lids.. The brass butt plate, trigger guard, and bands are all confederate manufacture. These are not even close to the U.S. parts with lots of casting flaws and file marks. At anyhow, it is a very interesting musket.
