Manufactured by the Whitney Arms Co., of New Haven, Connecticut in 1851. Whitney manufactured 26500 of the handsome and popular "Mississippi" Rifles under government contract between 1843 and 1855. The Model 1841 Rifle has a distinctive, over-size, brass patch box with brass buttplate, side-plate, trigger guard and barrel bands. The barrel originally had a brown finish and the lock and hammer were casehardened. The rifle retains the original fixed front sight and has been altered by attachment of a lug for a socket bayonet on the bottom of the barrel. The front sight blade is missing and the original brass tipped ramrod has been replaced with an ramrod with flared, button, tip. The lock plate is stamped: "N. HAVEN/1851" in two vertical lines behind the hammer and "E.WHITNEY/U.S." is two horizontal lines in front of it. The U.S. Ordnance inspector's initials "JCB" are stamped on the top of the barrel and a New Jersey "N.J." property marks is tamped on the left barrel flat. A second property marks consisting of the script letters "N.J." is an oval is stamped on the left side of the stock above the side-plate. Two faint, oval, Ordnance inspection marks are stamped on the left stock flat behind the side plate. "U.S." is stamped on the top of the buttplate behind the screw. The soldier initials "CR" are light carved on the left side of the stock. The rifle is complete with a scarce Civil War russet leather sling.