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LOT 3144
Only Known Prototype Merrill,
Latrobe & Thomas Percussion
Breech Loading Conversion of a
Harper’s Ferry Musket
Extremely Rare, Documented, Only Known Prototype Merrill, Latrobe & Thomas Percussion Breech Loading Conversion of a Harper’s Ferry Musket - NSN, 69 cal., 40 1/2 inch round bbl., brown/casehardened finish, walnut stock. This breech loading conversion of a Harpers Ferry musket uses a faucet breech mechanism with a manual rammer
used to force the cartridge forward into the breech, as patented by James H. Merrill in 1856 (patent number 14,077). There is a hole in the bottom of the receiver for the sheared off end of a paper cartridge to fall out upon closing the breech. Attempts were made to interest
the U.S. Ordnance department in this breech loading
design by the firm of James Merrill, Ferdinand C. Latrobe
and Philip E. Thomas, located in Baltimore, Maryland.
Due to not having their own sufficient manufacturing
capabilities, the firm contracted with Samuel Remington c.
1855 to manufacture approximately 170 carbines for U.S. trials,
as mentioned in Flayderman’s Guide (9B-079), with barely any of
the carbines known to exist today and considered extremely desirable
on the collector’s market. The Merrill, Latrobe & Thomas firm would last
only three years before this design was ultimately deemed a failure, with James
Merrill continuing on to achieve success with his more well-known Civil War issued
Merrill breech loading carbines and rifles based on his 1858 and 1861 patents. This exact
conversion musket is photographed in Arms Heritage magazine volume 2, issue 5 article
“Merrill, Latrobe and Thomas Carbines” by Frank Harrington and Edward Hull in which the plate 18
photograph caption states, “One .69 caliber musket is known with a Merrill, Latrobe & Thomas breech
added.”The existence of this Harpers Ferry conversion musket serves as possible proof of an early attempt
to interest the government in modernizing their outdated leftover muzzle loading muskets then in Armory
storage, although the subsequent improved Merrill design would be chosen in favor over this design for conversion
of 300 muskets for trials. The middle of the lock retains very faint traces of what would have been an “eagle/US” mark, and the rear of the lock is marked “HARPERS/FERRY/1828” (partial 8, could be a 9). The middle barrel band is marked on the right with an “E” and “1”. The buttplate tang is marked “US” and “1”. “GDM” (George D. Moller) collection initials marked at the toe of the stock. Includes leather sling and wood tampion.
CONDITION: Fine as turned to a brown patina overall with strong traces of original case colors on the breech lever, receiver and hammer. Stock is very good with some scattered mild chips and dents. Mechanically excellent. As the only known example of a Merrill, Latrobe & Thomas conversion of a Harpers Ferry musket, this is certainly a desirable and worthy addition to any early U.S. Martial collection!
Provenance: The George Moller Collection.
Estimate: 15,000 - 25,000