This display plaque is made of hickory plywood and trimmed with solid hickory; it features shop-made cold forged steel hangers for the rifle-musket and the bayonet. The M1863 Rifle-Musket is a .58 caliber black powder piece that took about 40 seconds to properly load for its one shot. The sequence was to pour a pre-measured amount of powder down the muzzle, remove the ramrod from under the barrel, insert into muzzle, tamp the powder, remove ramrod from barrel, insert cloth or paper patch into muzzle, use ramrod to pack patch against powder at bottom of barrel, remove ramrod, insert .58 caliber bullet ("minie-ball"), use ramrod to push bullet firmly against patch/powder, remove ramrod from barrel. Replace ramrod in retaining sleeve under barrel, half-cock hammer, clear off fired brass cap from previous shot, place new cap on breech nipple, fully cock hammer, aim and fire. Repeat process while under heavy fire from enemy amidst thick smoke and cannon fire.