Offered here is a nice, untouched example of the single cavity round ball bullet mold produced for issue with the US Model 1841 Mississippi Rifle. Between 1843 and 1855 a total of 91,796 Model 1841 Rifles were produced between the national armory at Harpers Ferry and several private contractors. As the standard delivery ratio of molds to rifles was two molds for every case of twenty rifles, or simple 1:10, that means a roughly 9,180 molds were initially delivered, with more likely being acquired as replacements during the period of use. 

The molds were simple, single cavity iron scissor molds with a sprue cutter incorporated into the front of the mold block and with the letters US stamped on the arms. Otherwise, the molds were unmarked. The cavity cast a nominally .535” diameter round ball which was loaded with a greased patch when fired from the .54 caliber rifles. While pre-packaged paper cartridges became more common for issue to troops by the latter part of the 1850s, the mold was still a necessary accessory should the soldiers need to cast their own ammunition.

The mold offered here is in VERY GOOD+, untouched condition. It is clearly marked US on one of the mold arms. The mold measures 8 ¼” in overall length with a mold block that measures 1.21”x.81”x.81” and arms that measure 6 7/8” long. The round ball cavity measures a nominal .535”. The mold has an untouched, richly oxidized brownish patina with traces of what appears to be an old, browned finish. There is some lightly scattered surface roughness here and there on the exterior of the mold and inside the sprue cutters. The arms show some minor bends and some scattered dents, and the mold shows some scattered dings and minor mars over all of the surfaces. The cavities are moderately oxidized and show some traces of their original bright polish mixed with some scattered oxidized discoloration. The cavity remains quite smooth and shows no damage or pitting. The sprue cutting blades at the end of the mold block show moderate wear with dings and mars to the cutting edges.

Overall, this a solid example of rare US Marked Model 1841 Mississippi Rifle Bullet Mold in untouched condition. It would be a nice addition to display with your Mississippi or to add to a collection of bullet molds or US military firearms accoutrements.