French M1853 Minie rifle

[Anzac15]

Think I found something pretty special today.
Found it at an antique store near me..it is what appears to be a French M1853 Minie rifle made by Chatellerault. Date on barrel is 1854. Stock matches number on rifle.
Came from a family in Winterville, Ga, which is about 45 minutes from me. I can only imagine it got here during our War of Northern Aggression.
Crimean War usage as well? Enjoy the pics, I will be eager to hear thoughts on this one.

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[browningautorifle]

Neat old rifle for sure, European Walnut wood work? I'd love to see it's tracks too...

[gew8805]

A very lucky find. You have a French M1853 Carabine à tige, not a "Minie rifle". The French did no adopt the Minié ball for military use until 1857, two years after the U.S. switched from the round ball to the Burton bullet which operated on the principal of the conical bullet being developed in France by Claude-Étienne Minié. For a link to read about the Carabine à tige, see Carabine Ã* tige - Wikipedia

Your gun is, of course, French. Keep in mind that the Confederacy did not import French arms during the American Civil War, however they did purchase a small number of Belgian made military arms of French pattern. The North did import a fair number of French military arms but due to problems of a non-U.S. standard caliber (.71), few if any were used for anything but training. After that, they were collected and put into storage and did not see the light of day again until after the War when they were quickly sold at low prices as surplus. It is likely that your gun came from Bannerman's of New York or W. Stokes Kirk of Philadephia, the two primary purchasers of Federal military surplus firearms and equipment.