Georgia Contract Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket
Item #: AA3340
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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 54 1/4", with a barrel length of 39". This particular gun was manufactured by the Birmingham maker Tower. The exterior of the barrel is smooth, with light pitting at the bolster and breech area. The surface of the barrel shows a dark, out of the attic patina. The bore of the barrel is turning dark with light scattered pitting and shows good rifling remaining. The left side of the barrel is stamped with the usual Birmingham l proof, view and definitive proof marks, along with 25 indicating this is a .577 caliber weapon. The original front sight is still present, as is the rear sight. The lock plate is stamped in two lines 1862/TOWER forward of the hammer and a crown to the rear of the hammer. The mechanics of the lock function normally, the hammer holds at half cock and full cock. The patina of the lock matches that "attic black" look of the barrel and bands. The front and rear sling swivels are both still reporting for duty. The ramrod is present, but is not engraved with a number. The nose cap, trigger guard and butt plate are brass and have a medium chocolate patina. The stock is in good condition, having no major stress cracks or wood loss. It too has that dark, undisturbed look of having been locked away from the light of dark for many years. 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 wood shows to be a nice medium brown walnut here and there. The right side of the stock bears a 1" G to indicate a weapon purchased by the state of Georgia. The butt plate tang is engraved with the number 4570. While most known surviving Georgia Enfields have Barnett locks, there are a few known with Tower marked locks. Of those, all known Tower locks are dated 1861. This weapon has not been disassembled, so I do not know if there are assembly markings on the back of the lock that match the rest of the gun. This is a very nice example of a Confederate state purchased Enfield rifle from the Civil War.
Shipping Weight:
9 lbs
Item # AA3340
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