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This Southern Rifle is untouched, right out of the woods.  The barrel is in original length, 41 1/2 inches with a decorative design at the muzzle.  The gun is about 58 inches overall and has not been subjected to any modern modifications, cleaning, etc.  It is in .44 caliber, has a walnut stock, appears to be brass mounted, with a Golcher trade lock.  It has its original ramrod and the original oil finish is still in the wood.  There is some brass showing around the nipple and I assume, somewhere along the way, some gunsmith or blacksmith has braised the nipple in place.  But it is not bad and is not disfiguring.  The gun has set triggers, which still function and interesting architecture.  The barrel is clearly signed P. Bettis.  According to Jerry Nobles' Notes on Southern Long Rifles, Phillip Bettis shows up in the 1879 directory in Vickerys Creek, Georgia, as a maker of full and half stock rifles.  I dare say that he was operating a lot earlier than 1879.  This gun appears to me to date more from the 1860 time frame.  A neat, untouched, solid condition, Southern Half Stock Rifle.   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!  (This rifle was purchased by Mr. Phill Bettis, namesake and great-great grandson of Phillip Bettis, the gunmaker.)

This entire grouping of memorabilia was found in an estate sale here locally in Montgomery.  It belonged to a Mr. Burton E. Miles.  It includes his GAR Gold Badge, a glass GAR Lapel Pin, two GAR Ribbons, a Tintype of him and Photographs of him and his wife.  He was originally from Pennsylvania and a member of Lyons Post 85.  There are also two Sharpshooter Badges pertaining to his service in the Pennsylvania National Guard.  His Marksman Metal has bars from 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, and 1904.  He must have been a crack shot for a long time.  There is also a nice hat badge with crossed rifles behind an enameled white keystone with regimental and company numbers.  I suspect this is also from his National Guard service.  There is also an original Regimental History of Company B, 40th Alabama Regiment, C.S.A.  This rare regimental history was printed in 1902 by Norwood in Anniston, Alabama.  The book is in very nice condition with only slight rub and wear to the exterior surface.  The group also includes three German Southern Patriotic Postcards.  This is a neat little grouping of items, which are clearly identified and , for the most part, in nice condition.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is a fine condition 1855 Springfield dated 1858.  It is correctly configured in the early pattern, i.e., iron mounted, no patchbox, brass nose cap and long range rear sight.  The metal on this gun is superb and shows very little wear and very little use.  The markings on the lock and barrel are sharp as a tack.  The Maynard primer mechanism still works flawlessly and the gun has a bright, sharp bore.  The wood has received numerous dents and dings and minor chippage, opposite the lock.  The cartouche is still visible on the left side of the stock.  The gun is complete and original, with no replacement parts whatsoever.  A really nice Springfield '55 Rifled Musket.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

A gorgeous pair of true percussion Dueling Pistols.  The were English manufactured by S. Smith.  They have beautiful, twist steel barrels, with a gorgeous pattern in the metal.  They have platinum banding at the breech of the barrels and platinum clean-out plugs in the bolsters.  They are approximately .62 caliber, smooth bore with  patent breech and horn nose caps.  The barrels are 10 3/4 inches in length with an overall length of 16 3/4 inches to the gun.  The guns are identical in all respects and are extremely well made.  The Code Duello has many forms.  But in general, a true Dueling Pistol was lightweight and slender and possessed a "coming up" quality in which the pistol literally became an extension of the man's arm.  Many codes forbade taking aim at one's opponent and "snap shooting" or "flash shooting" was the rule.  The guns were constructed in such a way that if you could extend your arm and point your finger at your opponent, the gun became an extension of your arm.  You will note that these guns do not have sights.  They have a bead at the front, but nothing at the rear.  This is correct for dueling pistols.  Dueling pistols were generally very conservative in decoration.  Highly embellished guns were generally not used in duels.  However, because one's life depended on the function of the gun, the attention to detail in the construction of the gun is highly meticulous.  This pair was beautifully executed.  The case that these guns are in, has been professionally relined, utilizing the finest Irish Baize.  Dueling was generally frowned upon during the antebellum period, by people in the North and even in Europe.  It held an attraction for Southerners. who maintained a curious, contradictory hold on the practice.  It somehow was considered a gentleman's form of dispute resolution.  It acknowledges man's nature as aggressive, but attempts to dignify it with discipline and was very much interwoven with the mythology of the Old South.  Abraham Lincoln was once challenged to a duel and he suggested, as a choice of weapons, cow patties at 15 paces.  When his challenger persisted, he chose the broad sword which, with his large frame and extremely long arms, would have given him a devastating advantage.  The duel never occurred.   These guns are in excellent condition, with no damage, repairs, replacements, etc.  The metal of the guns if very smoothly patinaed and the wood stocks retain 100 per cent of the original finish, with finely checkered grips.  (Information above is cited from a monograph titled The Code of Honor, Dueling in America by William R. Orbello.)   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is an honest, Confederate Kerr with a good JS & Anchor mark.  It has a smooth, brown patina and is functioning with a sticky trigger return.  The gun is complete with a chip out of the right grip, beneath the lock.  There is also a hairline crack on the frame tang.  Overall, a very good condition gun, with a good look.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is an excellent condition military Target Rifle made by Thomas Turner of Birmingham, England.  It has superb wood with sharp checkering, about 95% of the original blue on the barrel, liberal traces of case color on the lock, butt plate, nose cap, etc.  The lockplate, hammer, trigger guard, breech, etc. are beautifully and delicately engraved.  The bore is bright and sharp as a tack.  This gun is very unusual in that it has a 28 inch barrel and was originally made in this configuration.  It has not been shortened.  Thomas Turner produced .451 rifles made their way to the United States during the Civil War.  Some were probably even used by the South.  He was a competitor of Whitworth and about the best gunsmith England produced during the 1860's.  The gun is complete and superb in every respect.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!  (This rifle was purchased by Mr. Jonathan Turner, great-great grandson of Thomas Turner, the gunmaker.)

A neat Enfield Cavalry Carbine by E. P. Bond, which is JS & Anchor marked.  The gun has a 21 inch barrel with carbine bar and ring, clearly marked E. P. Bond forward of the hammer, on the lockplate.  There is some wood missing above the lockplate, behind the bolster and the rammer assembly is missing.  The rear sight, which was soldered on, has fallen off and has been replaced with a dovetail buckhorn.  The wood is in sound condition, with some stress cracks emanating from the lock area, which don't seem to have opened up.  The JS & Anchor mark is clear and is found just in front of the butt plate tang.  The left side of the barrel has 25 bore London proofs and there is distinct rifling in the bore.  Now this gun was more than likely issued to Texas Confederate Cavalry, probably the 32nd Texas Cavalry Regiment.  There is an article in the North South Trader's Civil War Magazine, (Volume XXVII, Number 3).  If you will search out that publication and turn to page 36, you will find a wonderful article by Martin L. Callahan, which describes three E. P. Bond Enfield Cavalry Carbines that are identical to this one.  They all seem to have Texas association and JS & Anchor marks, like this gun.  But further, this gun has exactly the same sub-contractor markings as those.  The ramrod channel on this gun is marked H. Eggington and C. Alexander.  There is even a remnant of the Groom marking on the stock, opposite the lockplate.  He is probably one of the assembly contractors.  Also, this gun has C/Crown/G markings on the carbine bar and the barrel bands.  The inside of the lockplate is marked Bond.  The characteristics and sub-contractor markings are so closely aligned to the three guns in the article, that this gun was more than likely, a part of the same shipment and probably shares the same history.   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is an Infantry Officer's Sword, which was sold by Halfmann & Taylor, Montgomery, Alabama.  Halfmann & Taylor were military outfitters and importers, who were active here in Montgomery during the Civil War.  The sword is a basic Model 1822 British Officer's Pattern, which was imported for sale in the Confederacy.  Instead of the traditional English Royal cipher in the guard, it has a roundel which is engraved with the Confederate Eagle (droopy wings) with CSA across its breast, surmounted by eleven stars, a reference to the original 11 Confederate States.  The guard/hilt is of iron with a sharkskin grip that has triple wire wrap.  The blade is etched with floral motif with the droopy winged Confederate Eagle bearing a shield and CSA in it's breast on both sides.  Being made in England for import, these swords were very high quality and they are very very rare.

This sword is in superb condition, with a virtually undented iron scabbard.  The grip wrap is almost 100% with all of the original wire.  The blade has no pitting and is still fairly bright, with superb etching.  100% the etching is clearly and distinctly visible on the blade.  It is an extremely rare sword and in nice condition.  Also, the Eagle and CSA motifs in the guard and on both sides of the blade are very visual.  It presents beautifully.   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This Model 1842 Aston is in bright burnish and sharp as a tack.  It has strong lockplate markings and barrel markings.  The lock is marked U. S.,  H. Aston in front of the hammer and Middtn, Conn, 1849 to the rear.  The barrel is marked, U. S. over NWP over P and the tang is marked 1849.  The wood is in excellent condition and shows no cartouches on the left side.  It is not refinished and is too sharp to have had the cartouches removed.  It will probably be a gun that was sold to one of the states and thereby did not get the normal Federal inspection mark.  A superb little Aston.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is the only known example of a Southern Rifle made by, a previously unknown and very competent German gunsmith from Hayneville, Alabama.  It has a 41 inch, .44 caliber barrel, double keyed stock, German silver mountings, double set triggers, patent breech and a neat Alligator inlay in the cheek piece.  It also has an ivory bead front sight, which is fairly unique.  George Balzer was born in Bavaria and shows up on the 1860 US Census as a gunsmith, married with three children, living in the town of Hayneville, Lowndes County, Alabama, which is in the middle of the old Alabama Black Belt.   The gun is in fine condition and reflects the demands for conservative, but elegant weapons of Alabama planter's society during the antebellum period.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!! 

A strong, very good to fine condition, US issue, 1860 percussion Army, manufactured by Colt in 1862.  It is serial number 70022.  All components have matching numbers to include the barrel wedge.  The gun has a very strong cylinder scene, which is virtually complete.  There are liberal traces of original finish on the flute and low areas of the barrel and back strap and even some traces of case colors on the frame.  Military sub-inspector marks are clearly showing on the back strap, trigger guard, cylinder, barrel, etc.  A faint cartouche can still be seen on the left grip.  The grips have numerous dings with a chip out on the left side, where the grip meets the frame.  The action is crisp and the gun functions very nicely.  It is tight with a solid frame to barrel fit.  A nice, early US Civil War issue Colt Army with strong markings.   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is a beautiful example of an 1808 North Navy, which was converted to percussion using the drum and nipple system.  This is a Naval Ordnance Conversion and should be considered a stand alone variation of Naval arms.  The lock has the best markings I have ever seen, with a full Eagle over U. States forward of the hammer and S. North Berlin Con. to the rear of the hammer.  The gun is serial numbered internally, but I have forgotten the number.  The belt hook is probably a replacement, but it is very well done.  The lock and barrel have virtually no pitting and are in a beautiful, smooth, light patina.  There is even a light trace of case color on the lock and I suspect much of the color on the barrel is an aging of the original brown.  The tip of the ramrod is broken off but it looks to be original.  The wood is quite sound, with minor dents.  There may also be a minor hairline crack in the grip.  An exceptional 1808 North Navy of which only about 3000 were manufactured.  The survival rate of these guns in nice condition is very low, due their heavy and hard usage during the War of 1812.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This London Armoury Company Kerr's Patent Revolver, serial number 1763, has a very nice smooth, brown patina.  It has no pitting and moderate wear.  The grips are sharp with a minor chip on the upper right side and a very strong JS & Anchor.  The gun is all matching, functions perfectly and does not appear to have ever been cleaned.  One nipple is broken on the cylinder and the cylinder pin retaining spring is missing.  It is a very nice looking Confederate issue revolver.   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This is a classic Southern import Bentley Revolver.  It is serial number 4039.  These guns are represented on the Pratt issue list of 1864.  Three of them were issued by Lt. G. Julian Pratt of the 18th Virginia Cavalry.  The three represented on his issue list range from 3100 to 3500 serial range.  I don't think there is much doubt but that this gun was purchased, shipped into the Confederacy and issued.  It is in really nice condition with considerable amounts of blue, mixing with light patina.  The grips are sharp, nicely checkered with only minor dents.  A really nice secondary Confederate handgun, which is fairly scarce.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

A gorgeous, superb condition, London Armoury Company .36 caliber Adams Revolver in its original case with accessories.  The gun retains 90% plus of its original finish with no pits and no dings.  The right side of the frame is marked Adams Patent 37647.  This would indicate that the gun was manufactured probably in early 1862.  The top of the barrel is engraved William Jeffery, 12 George St. Plymouth.  The left barrel flat is marked with London view and proof marks and a tiny LAC, which is the London Armoury Company's trademark.  The gun single actions perfectly but no longer double actions correctly.  The case is an original English mahogany case, lined with green baize which has not been replaced.  It has a circular brass disk in the lid, as is common.  The correct flask is marked Dixon & Sons Sheffield.  The oiler is marked Hawksley.  It has an Eley cap tin and iron 80 bore bullet mold, which casts two conical balls.  The nipple wrench is also authentic.  Overall, it is an excellent little casing that is authentic in every respect.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This regimentally marked British Infantry Officer's Sword is in fine condition.  It has a superb blade that is still bright with all of its etching clearly visible.  It has a sharkskin grip with three wire wrap, most of which is intact.  The blade is etched in three ribbons, Clackmannan Rifle Volunteers.  The Clackmannon Rifle Regiment was a Scottish regiment.  The blade is also etched Pillin, Manufacturer to His Majesty's Honorable Board of Ordnance, Gerrard St., Soho, London.  The blade is also etch with crown and eagle motifs, star of David on the ricasso, etc.  The scabbard has no dents and retains virtually all of its original plated finish.  The plating on the guard has flaked significantly.   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

A decent example of a North Carolina State marked 1836 Flint which was converted to percussion, probably during the Civil War.  The gun shows moderate wear and use and functions well.  The lock is clearly marked A. Waters, Milbury, MS dated 1840.  The breech of the barrel is marked US over JH over P.  Just forward of that, it is clearly marked N. Carolina.  The original Federal cartouches are still visible on the left side, opposite the lock.  The ramrod seems appropriate, but does not appear to be the original issue rod.  The gun is in very good condition and is generally considered to be a secondary Confederate firearm.  These are getting quite hard to find.    Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This gun takes your breath away.  It is a virtually new, probably unfired, India Pattern Napoleonic British Brown Bess Musket with bayonet and scabbard.  During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain found itself in a position where it could not produce enough muskets.  They adopted the India Pattern to reduce the cost and increase the number of guns manufactured.  This gun is as close to brand new as you can get.  All that brown you see on the barrel is not rust, it is the original brown finish (thus the name Brown Bess).  It retains 100% of the original finish in the wood, almost all the brown finish on the metal and has no repairs or replacements.  The lock is clearly marked with the contractors name, which is King, and the barrel bears standard British proofs.  It is simply stunning.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

This ID'd Kerr Revolver is very recently straight out of the woods.  It is in untouched, attic condition with three chambers still loaded.  It has a strong JS & Anchor marked grip and a very smooth, untouched brown patina.  It is accompanied by a signed statement of the great great grandson of John Pearson Bates, who was an Ordnance Sergeant in I Company of the 2nd South Carolina Cavalry.  He was from Edgefield, South Carolina and joined the Edgefield Hussars which became the 2nd South Carolina.  He died of disease at Green Pond, South Carolina in 1864.  The gun is functioning but the hammer will not stay on cock.  It has a broken sear spring, which is a small "V" type spring, that is prohibiting it from cocking.  It does, however rotate the cylinder and lock up, etc.  This one is as untouched, authentic and as historical as it gets.  Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!

A Virginia Manufactory Third Model Cavalry Saber which was modified for Confederate service by thinning the blade.  It is in attic, untouched condition with smooth brown patina.  No chips or major pitting on the blade.  The grip retains about half the original leather and all the brass wire wrap.   Click on image for additional views.  SOLD!!