U.S. Springfield Model 1855 Rifle-Musket – Maynard Tape Primer – Pre-Civil War U.S. Military Rifle

Offered here is an original U.S. Springfield Model 1855 rifle-musket, an important transitional firearm in American military history and the first U.S. service rifle to incorporate the innovative Maynard tape primer system.

Manufactured at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, the Model 1855 represented a major technological advancement over earlier percussion muskets. It was designed to fire the newly developed .58 caliber Minié ball, a projectile that greatly improved range and accuracy compared to earlier smoothbore muskets.

The lock plate is marked:

“U.S. SPRINGFIELD”

along with the American eagle motif and the 1858 date, placing its manufacture just prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War.

A distinctive feature of the Model 1855 is the Maynard automatic tape primer mechanism, located on the top rear of the lock plate. This system used a roll of percussion caps mounted in a small tape strip, automatically advancing a fresh primer each time the hammer was cocked. Although innovative, the system proved somewhat delicate in field conditions and was later abandoned in favor of standard percussion caps.

Key features include:

• Original Springfield Model 1855 rifle-musket

• Lock plate dated 1858 with U.S. eagle marking

• Maynard tape primer system (distinctive hinged primer door)

• .58 caliber rifled barrel for Minié ball ammunition

• Full-length walnut military stock

• Iron furniture and ramrod

• Standard U.S. military percussion ignition system

Rifles of this model were issued to U.S. troops in the late 1850s and saw service during the early years of the Civil War before being gradually replaced by the simpler Springfield Model 1861 rifle-musket.

Condition remains good overall for a mid-19th century military rifle. The metal surfaces display an attractive aged patina with honest wear consistent with historical use, while the walnut stock remains solid with scattered handling marks expected on a service arm of this age.

The Model 1855 holds an important place in the evolution of U.S. military small arms, representing the transition between earlier percussion muskets and the more widely produced Civil War rifle-muskets that followed.

Manufacturer: Springfield Armory

Model: U.S. Model 1855 Rifle-Musket

Caliber: .58

Ignition: Percussion (Maynard Tape Primer System)

Date: 1858

Era: Pre–Civil War / Early Civil War

A historic and desirable early U.S. military rifle from the years immediately preceding the American Civil War.

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