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If a fellow happened to be interested in selling this rifle what would he expect to get for it? Please and thank you.
It is a 1874/80 Gras Artillery Musketoon made at Tulle in 1877. Bore is very good, metal is dark and the wood has usual dings. Wood and all metal numbers match. Comes with bullet mold, a reproduction ramrod and reloading dies.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo..._b9340f4-1.jpg
Depends what someone was willing to pay! Is it matching? Nice looking rig though :) Probably north of $500 in all liklihood.
I think that was originally a Chassepot rifle (brass musket-type front band)that was converted to Gras and then shortened. The French made "gendarme carbines" in this way, to get more mileage out of weapons that were no longer suitable for front-line use.
It may be difficult to tell whether the shortening was done by an arsenal or not. Proper arsenal work is OK, bubba's work is a value-killer. It all depends on the quality of the workmanship.
Patrick