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Heavy barrel and half stocked percussion plains rifle marked “E. Dimmick, St. Louis” and stamped n

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:2,500.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Heavy barrel and half stocked percussion plains  rifle marked “E. Dimmick, St. Louis” and stamped  n
All items are as is, no warranty or claims and All SALES ARE FINAL. Please examine prior to bidding as it is the bidder's responsibilty to establish condition, age, genuineness, value or any other determinative factors.
Heavy barrel and half stocked percussion plains rifle marked “E. Dimmick, St. Louis” and stamped number 173 on the muzzle with information indicating this rifle was issued to the 66 Illinois infantry regiment known as the Westernsharpshooters during the Civil War. Refer article by Dan P. Fagen entitled “The Dimmick Rifles of the 66 Illinois Infantry” published in the gun report magazine March 1996. The Western sharpshooters became one of the earliest U.S.military sniper units and function with great success during the Civil War. Horace E. Dimmick wrote a letter to the Secretary of War on December 7, 1846 proposing to furnish the military with a special rifle that would shoot a much greaterdistance and more accurately than military rifles of that era. In 1861 Dimmick pursued his earlier idea and with the endorsement of Maj. Gen. John C. Fremont a regiment of sharpshooters commanded by Col. Birge were organized at St. Louis, Missouri.The article indicates that 1,000 rifles and were contracted from Dimmick and he had 150 in inventory with the remainder being obtained by him from other St. Louis makers. The article further states that a company member boasted that