Rare Confederate Tennessee Contract Rifle attributed to John Overton & made in Nashville

In all the years I've traveled finding antique guns, this is the rarest Civil War gun we've ever come across.  This Confederate Copy of the Mississippi rifle attributed to a former Harper's Ferry Armorer named John Overton and was made for the State of Tennessee in early 1862.  These rifles are one of the scarcest variants of Confederate weaponry known today. Including this one, there are total of between 7 to 12 known surviving examples out of the original total production of 81 rifles with a very distinct set of features.  They were built in or near Nashville , TN with deliveries to the state of Tennessee in early 1862 just before Nashville fell to the Union Forces. 

Surviving Confederate Records Records show the following deliveries made by John Overton:

36 Rifles January 20, 1862

26 Rifles February 1, 1862

13 Rifles February 13, 1862

6 Rifles February 26, 1862

Other contractors local Nashville contractors from the Nashville Area who delivered small numbers of arms to the State of Tennessee were, Cauthorn & Co., Nix and Harlan, Michael Cody & Son, E.R. Waddy, and H.D. Sweeney. P. 555 “Confederate Rifles and Muskets.

One unique thing that sets these Tennessee contract guns apart from other Confederate copies of the Mississippi Rifle is they stay true to the overall design and were built with brass patchboxes.  Very few Confederate copies of the Mississippi have patchboxes. Its believed that all of these rifles were issued and saw action in the hands of Confederate forces. About the only two places you can see a John Overton Rifle are the Greensboro Historical Museum which houses Dr. Murphy's collection or the Smithsonian Institute in Washington , DC .  I've personally seen Murphy's Overton... serial number 50 at the Museum in Greensboro , NC  and its identical to this gun in every way.  In spite of the many thousands of miles I travel per year, its kind of ironic that this turned up right here in Georgia  at a very small local gun show just 10 miles away. 

The book by John Murphy and Michael Madaus entitled "Confederate Rifle and Muskets" devotes a chapter to the study including 16 photographs of the John Overton Rifle giving an in depth review of the many features that differentiate this rifle from the standard Mississippi rifle.  This rifle follows very closely to the details laid out in Murphy's book.  See chapter 43 (XLIII), pages 555 thru 566.

For starters, the Overton rifle is not marked except for assembly numbers and numerals. The serial number of this rifle is 6X with matching correct matching numbers penciled inside the patchbox, stamped into the lockplate, and underneath the barrel there is just a single corresponding digit of the serial number. There are also matching Roman numerals from the workmen on the bottom of the barrel and inside the barrel channel. The inside of the lockplate reveals something interesting as the mainspring has been completely worn out…so much so that the owner squeezed a piece of leather down into the “V” to provide extra tension. The hammer still works but with very original tension due to its worn but original spring.

It has a lockplate that is shaped differently from the classic Mississippi rifle in that the back is more rounded and slopes differently forward of the bolster.  The crude hammer is shaped in a serpentine fashion that bears a strong resemblance British Brunswick or 1840-pre 1855 vintage Enfield pattern rifle hammer.  The hammer is not knurled/checkered but left smooth nor is it border-line engraved. Both the lockplate and hammer really tell you this doesn't follow the contours of the Mississippi .  Furthermore, the back of the barrel bolster is lacking a fence.  The patchbox door spring-catch is also different as it simply soldered to the door without the steel rivets present on the outside of the patchbox like the Mississippi rifle.  I've studied this rifle for quite some time and my honest conclusion is these rifles must have built in a hurry because somebody needed them!  For example, like all Overtons surveyed in Murphy's book, this rifle has a dovetail for a bayonet lug on the right side of the barrel just that was never installed. The maker even cut the channel and installed the pin in the forend for securing the ramrod spring spoon but no Overtons have every been found with the spring (that includes this one).  The inside of the patchbox also lacks the hole for a spare cone. The iron rear sight has a very distinctive shape (see photos) while the front sight is a brass post located on top of the barrel.  Interestingly, the Murphy book shows the front sight on some Overtons on the top of the barrel and others located atop the front barrel band. The bore measures approximately .58 caliber and appears to have been worn smooth. Of other Overtons surveyed, the range from .56-.61 caliber and none have been found with rifling.

This rifle is in NRA antique Good+ overall condition with a nice untouched patina on the metal. Brass furniture is uncleaned with many decades of tarnish and dirt….looks fantastic! Original sights and nipple. The wood is mostly untouched still retaining a significant amount of its original shellac which has turned dark red and curdled slightly from age in places. The one exception is there has been some museum-quality restoration work performed on the wood between the 1st and 2 nd barrel bands where a portion of the original wood was missing. We went to great lengths to get one of the Best of the Best to do this job! Its so good you would probably never know even though its right out in the open and NOT hidden under a barrel band. It also has a standard Mississippi front barrel band. Barrel length is correct and original measuring 33 1/16”. Overall length is 48 9/16”. This is just a fantastic Confederate Mississippi rifle and one of only a handful known. You will probably never see another one outside of a museum!

Item# 0134

$16,500.00 SOLD