Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket
Item #: AA3069
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This is a Pattern 1853 Enfield type III rifle musket from the American Civil War. The overall length of this weapon is 55 1/2", with a barrel length of 39". This particular gun was manufactured by the Birmingham maker Tower. The exterior of the barrel is smooth, with very little to no pitting. The surface of the barrel that is exposed shows a medium plum to brown patina, except from the rear sight back to the barrel tang. At some point this one has been blued in that area, not sure of when or why. The bore of the barrel is dark with light pitting throughout, but still shows very visible rifling. The proof marks are still very legible, reading from the breech are a crown over script BP, the number 25, crossed scepters with a crown in the top and the letter V in the bottom, the number 25 and crossed scepters with a crown in the top and the letters BPC in the other quadrants. These indicate the Birmingham Provisional Proof, caliber .577, The Birmingham viewers mark, caliber.577 and the Birmingham Proof House mark respectively. This old long gun did some shooting in it's time, as a bore gage now shows it at .60 caliber. The original front sight is still present, but like so many Enfields, the rear sight is missing. The lockplate is stamped with a crown to the rear of the hammer and 1861/TOWER forward of the hammer. The action functions normally, the hammer holds at half cock and full cock. The patina of the lock matches the barrel and bands. Both sling swivels are missing, but the ramrod is present. The nose cap, trigger guard and butt plate are brass and have a dark chocolate patina. The stock is in good condition, having no stress cracks or major wood loss. The barrel and ramrod channels are still pretty crisp and sharp. There are no visible stamps or cartouches to be found on the stock. The stock has been painted black at some point, but a nice medium brown walnut shows in the areas handled frequently. A little TLC with some paint stripper and a can of Balistol and this old warrior would probably clean up real nice! With this early date of 1861 this Enfield could have been imported by the Confederacy or the Union. No matter who used it, it's a nice example of the most imported longarm of the war.
Shipping Weight:
9 lbs
Item # AA3069
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