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I just took a set of photos outside of my 1866 rifle that was assembled at Springfield Armory in 1870 specifically for sale and export to France for their war with Prussia. From what I've learned, this 1866 never made it out of a government warehouse in France and so it, like all of the others in that warehouse, wasn't ever used.
Sometime around 1897 or so, Hartley and Graham or somebody else purchased the entire lot of the unissued 1866's and shipped them back to the U.S. for surplus sales.
Except for the wonderful patina on the stock and a few handling marks, this rifle is in essentially the same condition as it had been upon its initial assembly at Springfield Armory in 1870.
The stock still has its Whiskers and has never been sanded, cleaned or worn. I've personally never even oiled the stock. All I've done is wiped it down with a clean and dry cotton cloth. I've never removed the trigger guard and I see no reason to.
The bore is absolutely Mint and all of the original tooling marks in the rifling can be seen to be unworn and sharp.
There is absolutely no wear to the rifling at the muzzle from cleaning rod wear.
This 1866 Springfield is in really nice condition.
Enjoy the photos!
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