Anybody familiar with old firearms?

I've come across an interesting weapon, actually part of an interesting weapon, and I'm trying to figure out what it is. If I remember correctly, my best guess so far was 1861 Springfield, but I'm not sure.

It's percussion cap (though the firing mechanism is gone: all I've got is a barrel), I measured it as .58 Cal although theoretically it could be .54 because I've got a bad eye for measurement. The barrel is 42 inches long and hexagonal in formation.

The bore is smooth as far as I can tell... of course its rusted to hell and gone because we found it out in the desert, but I'm still pretty sure there's no rifling in there.


On the back, which would have been covered by the stock, there is the number 81 in the middle, and to the right there is what appears to be an F.

It was found in the desert in the vicinity of the Salton Sea.

Anyone have a good idea of what it is and how the heck it might have ended up there?

Edit: I've run into an interesting problem. The barrel is 2 inches too long to be an 1861 Springfield.

42" and smoothbore suggests an 1842 Springfield (infact I have just read that this was the only percussion cap smoothbore ever fielded by the Army) but the calliber is wrong... those were .69 cal.



[edit on 30-10-2006 by The Vagabond]