The "Mississippi Rifle" was made famous by Jefferson Davis' unit during the Mexican-American War. Davis had used his influence, including involving President Polk, to get his unit arms with rifles while smoothbore muskets were still the standard. They also earned the nickname "Yager" rifles after their similarities with German jaeger rifles. Some are known to have been sold to settlers headed to the West in the 1850s, and they remained in use during the Civil War in the hands of Union and rebel soldiers alike. Originally, the Model 1841 was .54 caliber and designed for use with round balls. They were not designed for use with bayonets. Riflemen were skirmishers, not infantry, so bayonets were not considered necessary. They were used by the U.S. Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, which counted Samuel H. Walker among its officers. Early riflemen, during the Revolution and War of 1812 for example, carried long knives or hatchets in place of bayonets. This one was converted to .58 caliber (seven-groove rifling) by Colt and features the Colt Model 1855 revolving rifle rear sight and ring mounted bayonet stud. These were fitted with Collins & Co. saber bayonets numbered to the guns (not included). Colt purchased 11,368 Model 1841 rifles from the Ordnance Department which would have included pieces both from Harpers Ferry and government contractors. They then altered them for use with .58 caliber Minie balls and bayonets and then sold them back to the government for $18.50 a piece. By May of 1862, Colt had sold 10,200 of the converted rifles back to the government and made a quick and handsome profit. Similar arms deals between the government and Colt earned both Samuel Colt and some top level officials a fair amount of ire. The barrel has a brass blade front sight, a band with bayonet stud and "570," "570" on the bottom of the barrel by the band, three leaf rear sight (a 100 yard fixed notch, a 300 yard folding leaf, and a 500 yard folding leaf), "US/L.B.C./P" and "B" on the left at the breech, and "1850" on the tang. The lock has "ROBBINS/&/LAWRENCE/U.S." at the center and "WINDSOR VT/1851" on the tail. The left stock flat has "JM" and "WAT" cartouches (the latter from when it was re-accepted by the Ordnance Department), and "W" and "US" is marked on the brass buttplate tang. "W" is marked on the side plate. An "M" is on the tail of the patch box lid, and a spare nipple is inside the compartment.