Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Have a lead on an 1895 military musket

Letter says 28".

Only 5000 1895s? Cool, I am glad that I have one in decent condition for 1896.

Interesting. Heard back from Fug, and his and the Cody gun are both 30".

The 1895 catalog did offer them in 26",28", 30". But 30" was standard.

In the 1897 catalog it showed 28" as the only offering.

I'd suggest getting a picture of the barrel address, just to rule out that it's not an 1899 musket barrel. I don't know if that would even matter on that gun though.

Having an 1899 barrel would sure discourage me from buying it but then if it is priced reasonably with the wrong barrel that would help sway me to buy it. Are you guys thinking it may be an 1899 barrel because it's 28"?
I have the other four cataloged models of 1895 plus a special order short rifle. I need a musket to complete my 1895 collection. Hint, hint.

I don't think it's an 1899 barrel, but it doesn't hurt to ask and be sure since it's not the standard length.

OK, I have photos but they show some paperwork which I don't want to publicize due to names and addresses. Let me see what I can find. The barrel is included and looks like it's shorter than photos in the books. Look at the front sight location. Is something wrong?

Bottom musket here is an 1895 musket.




Here's the other 1895 musket.

Undoubtedly, in my mind, the front sight was set back to allow for the bayonet.

That makes sense. It still looks funny and vulnerable to damage.

I blew that photo up, and it looks to me as if the barrel band is just barely covering the front edge of the wood and should be farther back on the rifle. Note the line where the wood looks to be indented. Also it looks to me as if the sight is attached to the top of the barrel band rather than being dovetailed into the barrel. And, the barrel definitely does not extend nearly as far beyond the wood as the two muskets in the other photos. I wonder if the barrel was cut for some reason at about the front sight dovetail. That could explain the 28" vs. 30" barrel.

The other two muskets have the barrel band right on the end of the forearm, there shouldn't be any wood extending past the barrel band. Don't know what those marks are.

You have a point on the front sight in relation to the barrel band, but it might just be the angle and the sight is actually right in front of the barrel band. Hopefully we'll eventually see a better picture of it.

Yeah, thanks for pointing that out. I think you're right, although it could be too that the top band was loose and slid forward. The barrel could well have been shortened- hard to tell from the camera angle. It would appear also that perhaps the sight boss (which in order to do double duty as a bayonet lug would be silver soldered, brazed, to the barrel, or machined integrally) may be missing and someone made a sight and attached it to the band. The half-moon sight pictured doesn't jibe with the pics of the other front sights. Again, a better pic would tell the tale.

Here, Fug's on the left from the 2007 Fest, the Canadian one on the right.

Sights are definitely different.

Wonder if the marks on the Canadian musket are from trying to wriggle the barrel band off the forearm with the sight sitting right in front of it?

I have never seen front sight attached to a barrel band. my guess the barrel has been cut back.

Attaching front sight to upper bands wasn't unheard of on military rifles/muskets of the 19th century.

It letters as a 28" barrel rather than 30" so it had to come off of somewhere if standard is 30".

*Wouldn't the barrel bands necessitate the barrel remain in it's manufactured position to maintain the correct diameter at the barrel bands, therefore requiring a shorter 28" barrel to have it removed on the muzzle end, rather than set back at the breech end?

Roy, the letter clinches it. if you don't want it I sure am interested.

I want it but I'm out of the loop. My friend is working on it. When this shakes out if I can't do it and the man is willing to sell, I will make sure you get a chance. Send me your contact info David so I have it on hand.

There’s a factory letter showing it’s a 28” barrel? Clark or Callahan?