Original U.S. Civil War Era New Hampshire Half Stocked Under Hammer Percussion Target Rifle by D.H. Hilliard with Heavy Octagonal Barrel - circa 1860

Original Item: Only One Available. Just purchased at a recent military auction! This is a very nice U.S. Civil War era heavy barreled percussion target rifle, typical of those used by early Yankee / Union sharpshooters during the conflict. The design is somewhat reminiscent of the "Pennsylvania" or "Kentucky" rifles of the time, but it is definitely a bit less curved and more robust in shape. It features a 26 1/4 inch long octagonal barrel with 6 groove rifling and a bore of .41", one of the typical sizes in use at the time. Overall length is 42 1/2" and the barrel is VERY heavy for accurate shooting, much like "bench rest" rifles of the day, and in this case the barrel walls are thicker than the bore itself.

This very interesting example was made by well-known under hammer maker David Hall Hilliard of Cornish, New Hampshire circa 1860. The barrel is turned down at the muzzle for a bullet starter, which is no longer present. This would be used to add rifling to the bullet before entering the bore, which prevented wear to the muzzle of the barrel. It is marked correctly on the top of the barrel with Hilliard's usual address marking:-

D.H. HILLIARD
CORNISH
N.H.

It is also marked with CAST STEEL 1956 on the rear left facet, possibly giving the serial number of the rifle. It does not have any other external markings, and the under hammer lock is fitted inside of the stock, so we assume it was made by Hilliard himself. It is fully functional, and does not appear to have any type of half cock position. While it does not seem to be a "set trigger" as we normally see, it is almost a hair trigger and requires a very light pull before the lock fires. We can see on the top of the barrel that it at one time had some type of sight fitted on the middle of the barrel, but it now has a long range sight on the rear of the barrel, which has an adjustment underneath that fits into ridges on the back of the wrist. It does look to be a bit worn at present, with the bottom showing some splintering of the metal where it touches the back of the wrist.

The rifle is in overall very good condition, with wear commensurate with age and service.  The stock looks to be walnut, and has a lovely color, and also shows a good amount of "curl" to the grain, especially in the butt stock area. There is a patch box on the right hand side, which is currently empty, and the left side of the stock has a lovely cheek piece with an oval ornament. We checked the bore, and it is in excellent condition, showing clear lands and grooves and a bright finish, with little to no wear evident. It was definitely well cared for during its service life. There is brass tipped ramrod under the barrel, which is probably a period replacement.

A lovely example of a New Hampshire under hammer percussion target rifle but a known maker, ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1860
Caliber: approx .41" six groove rifling
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 26 1/4 Inches
Overall Length: 42 1/2 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

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