The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Anyone familiar with the Neifse/Neisse armory? I found one marked 1828, all original with bayonet in pretty good shape...although that's partly because someone lacquered the metal. Anyways, was trying to help the owner ID it. I had never heard of that manufacturer before, and only found a few tidbits online....such as it being in Potsdam. One site said they were believed to have been used by the Confederates, and another said the Confederates didn't get many Prussian arms....that these were sold by the French to the Union (who didn't use them much because they didn't like them....which would explain the pretty nice condition). It's been in their family for over a 100 years, someone decided to "collect" guns and bought it...my guess is from Bannerman or something like that but it's not chopped up at all.

I inspected the lock pretty well and showed it to some black powder collectors and we all agreed that it didn't look like it was a conversion...we think it was actually built AS percussion cap. 1828 is pushing it but not impossible for that.

Anyone else have some info?

Pics would help Kenny, both sides scoured Europe for anything that would shoot, Austria also supplied weapons ( for cash money)

Yeah, I know photos would be nice but unfortunately I couldn't get any...and they took the musket with them.

There were no other marks besides Neifse 1828 and a crown on the lock (plus a very low serial) the barrel had the serial and an inspector mark, and the bayonet had some sort of newer serial "etched" by hand into it (very very light, must have been from some sort of collection).

I don't necessarily need a value, as they aren't sure they want to sell it and I've priced what few I can find online...but I would like to know anymore about this model or armory in general if anyone knows of them. Google was lacking in that department and I couldn't find anything online for that armory post 1839... they must not have lasted much longer. Although if it helps at all I did see some of the 1839s had POTSDAM stamped on the lock as well.

Potsdam is the big Prussian armory, many early military muskets were farmed out to small shops for production but later would have passed through the bigger arsenals, remember that Germany was a collection of states in 1829 and Austria was an Empire. This musket could have been used by any number of small kingdoms.

Yeah, the lack of any real markings will probably leave it a mystery...although if I can acquire it I may be able to find something hidden under the barrel or something. Either way, it's a beautiful piece for it's age and certainly no one else in my group of friends will have one...

Good luck with it