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Spanish Modelo 1857/59 Percussion Rifle "Madrid 1861"

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:900.00 USD
Spanish Modelo 1857/59 Percussion Rifle  Madrid 1861
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[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2025 Nov 02 @ 11:00 (UTC-08:00 : PST/AKDT)
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Spanish Modelo 1857/59 Percussion Rifle "Madrid 1861", #138 (stamped at rear of lockplate) and on right side of buttstock; approx. .577 cal., 33" round barrel with majority of browned finish remaining on metal surfaces (80%-85%); two barrel bands with front band missing sling loop; steel ramrod, full-length wood stock. Lockplate displays "(crown)/Madrid/1861". Rear flip-up adjustable sight is tight and functioning nicely. Wood stock is overall very good to near fine with the most noticeable blemish being a chip at the toe. Action is crisp and strong, bore is dark but clear. According to several Civil War sources, this was the type of muzzleloading rifle imported out of Cuba by the Confederacy in style and composition. Written articles by knowledgeable Civil War collectors also note that the "(crown)/Madrid/1861"-marked rifles under serial #500 are known to have been imported from Cuba and used by members of the Confederate States Kentucky "Orphan" brigade. One such source interestingly noted evidence for a Kentucky connection, in particular for these rifles that they may have been privately purchased by the regimental commander, but there is an even stronger Spanish connection through Brig. Com. William Preston who was on his way home to Kentucky from his post as ambassador in Madrid when the war broke out and he was asked by C. S. authorities to acquire Spanish arms or at least set up contacts. Also, there is reporting that some Spanish arms were actually offered to the Confederacy at an early date according to a letter from two arms dealers in Cuba (a Spanish possession at the time) who had been engaged in May 1861 to look for military supplies by C. S. Chief of Ordnance Josiah Gorgas with the forwarding of a list of available items, with prices, to a CS purchasing agent. These 1861-dated and low serial numbered Spanish percussion rifles are incredibly rare and would make a great addition to any Confederate Arms Collection or display related to Kentucky Civil War units. Est.: $1,800-$2,400. (Antique)