M1859 Army kammerlader
The M1859 is a short, two band rifle and was to be the last model of the large-bore (18 lødig or 16,8 mm) of the Norwegian military rifles. The rifle was made for the Sharpshooter Company in Stockholm (today’s Garden – The Kings Guard), for the jägers and for the infantry’s sergeants. Although rather few true M1859’s were made, it probably is the easiest kammerlader to get hold of for a collector today.
Most of the so-called M1859 kammerlader have been converted from M1849, M1855 and possibly also from the M1846 rifles. Only the numbers between 10858 (1859) and 12183 (1860) are the original M1859’s.
This was, however, evidently was not one continues series. Rifle with number 11914 was produced in 1860, but rifle 11734 was produced as late as 1864 – long after the new “small-bored 4’’’ calibre” was introduced. According to Hærmuseet, the rifle was produced in small series until 1868, but these series are evidently numbered “a bit here and a bit there”. Theoretically there might have been made as “many” as 1325 of the M1859, but there were probably made a lot fewer. Even 1325 is a low number for an army rifle in Norway.
In addition to the dating and the numbering, there is no problem seeing the difference of an original or a converted M1859. The spring holding the front band has been turned on the converted rifles and a splinter glued in where it originally was.
A straight forward, decent condition, M1859 conversion should sell for NOK 4-6 000. Add NOK 1000 for an original M1859, but I must admit to having paid NOK 8000 for the last one I bought and it was not all that great.
The sword bayonet is a brass mounted bayonet very similar to the M1860/67, but where the hole for the muzzle is a lot larger (23 mm versus 17). This sword bayonet is fairly scarce as only the M1859 had this bayonet, all the other regular large bore kammerladere had socket bayonets and is probably worth some NOK 2000-2500. The bayonets were made with the same numbers as the rifles.
This rifle can be found with matching number on the bayonet, I would say that qualifies for an additional NOK 2-3 000 in the price.
