Dixie Gun Works 1861 kit

[Craig L Barry]

I was informed today that the latest Dixie Gun Works catalog for 2009 had listed a few more of those very highly sought after US 1861 rifle musket kits originally made by Miroku in Japan. These weapons are very accurate in terms of dimensions and weight (about 24 ounces lighter than the Armi Sport or EoA). The word is DGW "found a couple more kits" in the warehouse. Some are already finished and others are still in "kit" form. It seems like every year or so (these kits have not been made in Japan for at least five years) DGW finds a few more of these in some forgotten corner. I think the price in kit form was a reasonable $575 + shipping.

If you are looking for the best US model 1861 rifle musket, this could be your last good chance to get one of the old DGW 1861 kits NIB, although these occasionally pop up on the internet forums 2nd hand in decent condition. I was using mine at ATL last weekend...If you are concerned about building one of them from a kit, it is not that difficult at all. I have made about five or six of these, including the one of the last kits that I did last year for myself after another reenactor gave up on it. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

[Huck Finn]

Kit referred to by Mr. Barry is $795.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=893

[huntdaw]

That one says it's made in Italy. Not a Miroku.

[Craig L Barry]

Correct, and that is an easy mistake to make. You have to look pretty close but the one on the website is from Euroarms and not the same thing. A few years back Dixie started selling Euroarms US 1861s (and 1863s) in kit form, and those are nothing like the Miroku version. In fact, at $795 for the Euroarms kit, the cost is at least $185 higher in unfinished form than the same Euroarms US 1861 built and fully finished at Regt Qm. Also, if you look closely you can see the barrel in the pic of the Euroarms kit is actually blued...which I don't quite understand. The US model rifle musket barrels were not blued originally at any stage of manufacture to my knowledge. Why would Euroarms go through the expense and inconvenience of bluing the barrel on a US 1861 only to have to strip and polish the bluing off during final finishing?

I will leave that question to the philosophers, and from what I understand the Dixie/Miroku US 1861 kit is not on the DGW website (for some reason) but only in the 2009 catalog. A call to Dixie Gun Works if you are interested in this particular weapon might be in order. This info is just offered as a heads-up for those who might be interested in one of these before they are no more. I have one that I built from the kit, and it is a great improvement over either of the Italian made US 1861s, much like the original Parker Hales were better than the Italian made P53s.

[Huck Finn]

This must be one of those "You gotta know" kinda things. Will call them to see what the skinny is.

[tompritchett]

Also, if you look closely you can see the barrel in the pic of the Euroarms kit is actually blued...which I don't quite understand. The US model rifle musket barrels were not blued originally at any stage of manufacture to my knowledge. Why would Euroarms go through the expense and inconvenience of bluing the barrel on a US 1861 only to have to strip and polish the bluing off during final finishing?

Since the calibers between the Enfields and Springfields are almost identical, it makes me wonder whether or not Euroarms is using an Enfield barrel for it 1861 kit. That would also suggest that the hole through the barrel to the spark chamber is made after the barrel is blued, as that would be the only other difference in the barrels before the sights are spot welded on.

[Craig L Barry]

...but yes, you are right. I feel confident that Euroarms uses the same basic .58 barrel design for both, they both certainly have that odd taper towards the muzzle that makes bayonet fitting such a chore with the Euroarms. In that sense it is like their "Enfield barrel" in a manner of speaking. However, here is the confusing part...the barrel is blued as the final step in its finishing. Meaning it would have whatever bolster was to be used, US model or Enfield, already in place on the barrel. And whatever stamps, serial numbers, etc on it as well. So why blue it at that point? That is an extra expense and an extra step in the production process. You would think all barrels would come off the assembly line unfinished ("raw") and then receive whatever barrel finish was appropriate for the model.

Hard to say "why" they do that, about all I can offer is that it is done that way and make note that it is an easy way to tell the DGW kit you want (Miroku) from the one you don't (Euroarms).

[Blair]

Tom,

The blueing is to reduce potential rusting from the raw wood being in contact with the bright metal.
I may be mistaken on this, But I don't think Euroarm Of America is doing these kits. Now, Euroarms of Italy? that is another story. You come up with the bucks and they will do it your way, laughing all the way to the bank.
Blair Tayor

[Craig L Barry]

Right, it is Euroarms Italia SrL. Euroarms of America is a distributor for Euroarms Italia SrL, and not a manufacturer. Good point. And I suspect that since Dixie Gun Works also offers an Enfield "kit" with a blued barrel, maybe they specified all the barrels blued? It is a mystery to me. Let me hasten to add that despite my curiousity I wouldn't spend $795 on a DGW Euroarms musket in kit form (that I could buy finished for $610) just to find out.

That just doesn't make good walking around sense...

[Blair]

Craig,

It maybe an indication of a general price increase across the board for repro guns.
There has been a price increase over the past two years from around 450 to 600 $.
A rather slow increase within the gun world compared to the prices of other things.
Blair

[IPBarnard]

The kit with a blued barrel may be intended for the NSSA guys who are more into accuracy and less into authenticity.

Thanks,
Mark C. Foster

[Blair]

Mark,

I think you may be blowing smoke up the wrong chimney with that assumption.
Blair Taylor

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

The kit with a blued barrel may be intended for the NSSA guys who are more into accuracy and less into authenticity.

Thanks,
Mark C. Foster
NSSA guys may not be so much into clothing accuracy (at times), but I've never been with any of them not into the firearm accuracy -they insist on it being right by and large.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

"NSSA guys may not be so much into clothing accuracy (at times), but I've never been with any of them not into the firearm accuracy -they insist on it being right by and large."


As a former 17 year member of the N-SSA, IMHO...

There was/is a "dichotomy" in the N-SSA between the realm of custom-builts which had to be built to more exacting specs and measurements and inspected and approved by the Small Arms Commitee versus the mass-produced commercial imports which could sneak in under the stricter wire of custom-builts.
Some attributed this to a wink-and-a-nod to the late N-SSA "charter member" Val Forgett of Navy Army Arms with the Italian made imports starting with the "lesser standard" of the Navy Arms mixed-model "M1864 Springfield" which came out in 1974.
Or Mike Yeck's Smith artillery and cavalry Smith carbine reproduction that lacked a recoil collar and whose barrel still retained the octagonal flats underneath from the octagonal barrel stock used to make the barrels, etc.
Or .54 Sharps without Lawrence pellet primer mechanisms or .54 Gallagher reproductions.

At any rate, while I cannot explain a blued M1861 barrel, (other than prhaps a goof at the factory0, I do not see how a blued barrel effects shooting accuracy.. ;) :)

Others' mileage will vary...

CHS

[Blair]

Mark,

I should apologize for bing so blunt in my previous statement.
An organization like the N-SSA takes their firearms authenticity very seriously. No kits can be approved. Only finished firearms. And if those are made from a kit gun the maker of the kit has to be on the pre approved List.
You are correct in that much of what is available in the way of reproduction firearms in reenacting today is a direct result of the efforts of the N-SSA.
Blair Taylor