Civil War Relicman Harry Ridgeway
	Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!) authentic Civil War relics, bought and sold.
	http://relicman.com/

Weapons (pre 1898) of the Civil War Relicman Sales catalog.

W1394 ### Breechloader, Merrill single shot percussion carbine, First Type, brass patchbox and breech lever secured with rounded latch, .54cal. (sn# 6231) . Merrill carbine bears a unique breech system with a long lever released by a spring latch, and is percussion primed using a paper cartridge. This model with brass patchbox is referred to as First Type, however this is a collector term of convenience, and not a contemporary designation. Manufactured by H. Merrill, Baltimore Maryland. Marks on lock forward of the hammer, J. H. MERRILL BALTO. / PAT. JULY, 1858 / APL. 9. MAY 21 - 28 - 61, serial number appears on rear of the hammer, and on the breach tang. Breech lever is marked J. H. MERRILL BALTO. / PAT. JULY, 1858. Additional inspector marks inside the loading lever. Standard features include: brass buttplate, brass patch box, brass trigger guard, single brass band, saddle riding ring and bar on the left side, two leaf hinged sight, rifled with three grooves. On early production, the breech latch is rounded. Research Center: Weapon2321-Breechloader-Merrill-Carbine . Reference: Flayderman 9B-075. Barrel length 22.125in. Serial number, 6231, appears on rear of the hammer, and on the breach tang. For sale $2,000.00 Details click: http://relicman.com/weapons/Relicman-Sales-Weapon-W1394.html

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All weapons I sell are "pre 1898 weapons". This exempts antique firearms from regulation, which means that they can be owned, or shipped through the mail, no permitting or licensing is required. The complete text of the law can be found in the Cornell online law library:
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00000921----000-.html The following relevant excerpt is taken from the law:
(3) The term (firearm) means
(A) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive;
(B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon;
(C) any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or
(D) any destructive device.

Such term does not include an antique firearm.

(16) The term (antique firearm) means:
(A) any firearm (including any firearm with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system) manufactured in or before 1898; or.....

This means that pre 1898 weapons are excluded from the law by definition, therefore none of the rest of the law applies to antique weapons made before 1898.

One caution though, the weapons can be dangerous if not properly handled or used maliciously, so please be careful with them.

A note about safety of antique weapons: Pre 1898 weapons are not regulated because the law exempts them as weapons. They are old, they are antique, and some are compromised and altered well beyond their original design. Any of them can be fired, but safety is always a concern with antique weapons. Safety is also a concern if you drive an antique car on the road. With any antique, special care needs to be exercised, you do not want to simply take the thing off the shelf and shoot it. It should be carefully inspected, cleaned, serviced, and tested before firing. Most of these weapons have not been fired in at least 100 years, and the better ones have probably not been fired since the Civil War itself. There is risk of blockage, stressed metal, improper loading, and other problems that might not be imagined. In addition many collectors would consider any cleaning or use of a historic piece to be a compromise. A premium is paid for originality and condition of a historic piece, sometimes this premium is very significant for an unfired piece, a weapon never gets in better condition as it gets handled. However if you choose to fire an antique weapon versus displaying it, you will want to take it apart, thoroughly clean and inspect it before you fire it, or at least you ought to do that. These antique weapons require an entirely different approach versus the licensed modern weapons that are readily available and more easily and safely used for sport firing and hunting. As a dealer selling strictly antique weapons, I do not warrant any use.


All items listed are guaranteed authentic to the Civil War or as otherwise described.
Any excavated relics have been recovered from private property with owners permission.
Any artillery or ordnance relics have been disarmed and rendered safe.
All weapons are pre 1898 antique weapons, and are exempt from Federal regulation, no licenses or permits are required.


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Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War Weapons Research center, weapons, click: http://relicman.com/weapons/Weapon0000-Index.html. Research center, weapons, click: http://relicman.com/weapons/Weapon0000-Index.html.