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April 28, 2025
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Yesterday I acquired an M.1885 highwall .45-70 musket with saber bayonet manufactured in 1887. Is there a record of what Guard, militia, or paramilitary organizations acquired these? Numbers produced? Anything else of interest to a martial collector/shooter? I thank you.
April 15, 2005
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Swooper10 said
Yesterday I acquired an M.1885 highwall .45-70 musket with saber bayonet manufactured in 1887. Is there a record of what Guard, militia, or paramilitary organizations acquired these? Numbers produced? Anything else of interest to a martial collector/shooter? I thank you.
What is the serial number on your Single Shot Musket? Of the (343) high-wall Muskets that were manufactured, approximately (120) were purchased for use by the Hawiian Guard.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
April 28, 2025
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Bert: Thank you for your response. Serial # is 9855.
April 28, 2025
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Whoa! This just sunk in. Do I understand only 343 M.1885 .45-70 Winchester muskets were produced, total?
April 15, 2005
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Swooper10 said
Whoa! This just sunk in. Do I understand only 343 M.1885 .45-70 Winchester muskets were produced, total?
Yes, that is correct. That stated, there were a lot of Single Shot rifles that were very low production. To give you an example, the three rifles I have in my signature picture are all less common than a 45-70 Musket.
The top rifle is a 50 Express (50-95 W.C.F.) and it is (1) of just (254) manufactured.
The middle rifle is a 405 WCF and it is (1) of just (47) known to have been manufactured
The bottom rifle is 40-90 Ballard, just (1) of (120), and just (1) of (14) that were manufactured as a Fancy Sporting Rifle.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
April 15, 2005
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Swooper10 said
Bert: Thank you for your response. Serial # is 9855.
OK, that makes it one of the early (pre Hawiian Guard) production Muskets. S/N 9855 was part of a (30) gun order that was shipped to order No. 17733 on May 28th, 1887. It is not known where to whom that (30) gun order was shipped, but based on its size, it was most likely to a State Militia. Unfortunately, the specimens that have surfaced thus far do not have any markings on them to give us a clue who or where they went after leaving Winchester.
The Hawiian Guard is the only known (documented) entity that purchased a quantity of the Single Shot 45-70 Muskets. The first order was for (40) Muskets (all in the 24395 – 24560 serial range) and were shipped on May 1st, 1888 to order No. 6559. The second order of (20) Muskets was shipped to order No. 16531 on 8/30/1895 (70000 serial range).
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
April 28, 2025
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Bert, my thanks. I’ve a Winchester letter stating the shipping date, as you described. Didn’t have the fact it was one of 30 shipped that May day in 1887. Concur it must have gone to some domestic state militia or NG unit. The bore’s perfect(!), so it had little time on the firing range. WISH I knew where. With Sharps-Borchardt .45-70 muskets, one at least has three or so suspects. Your three unicorns are magnificent. And to think: a couple of my accumulation of 19th Century military arms were once made into floor lamp bases….
December 9, 2002
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Some great information here.
I think many of us would love to see some pictures if you’re so inclined to share them with us!
Anthony
November 7, 2015
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Swooper10 said
Whoa! This just sunk in. Do I understand only 343 M.1885 .45-70 Winchester muskets were produced, total?
Yes, pretty cool. I have an earlier one, SN 3266. Not in as good shape as yours but still quite interesting. Thanks for posting, just remembered I haven’t shot mine yet!
Mike
April 28, 2025
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[Image Can Not Be Found]Can (and have) taken photographs. Can’t sort out how to post them here.
April 15, 2005
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Swooper10 said
[Image Can Not Be Found]Can (and have) taken photographs. Can’t sort out how to post them here.
If you send them to me, I will post them.
Bert – [email protected]
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
