Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket
Item #: AA3079
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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 1/4", with a barrel length of 39". This particular gun was manufactured by the Birmingham maker Tower. The exterior of the barrel is smooth, with very little to no pitting. The surface of the barrel shows a nice, even steel gray patina. The bore of the barrel is turning dark with light pitting throughout, but still shows very strong 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. In addition to the usual Birmingham marks there is an additional mark, that of a Birmingham Small Arms Trade inspector. This is the first stamp in the line of proofs, starting at the breech end, inspector number 14. This old long gun did some shooting in it's time, as a bore gage now shows it at .62 caliber. The bolster area shows a period repair, with the nipple being brazed onto the bolster. The original front sight is still present, as is the rear sight. The lockplate is stamped with a crown to the rear of the hammer and 1862/TOWER forward of the hammer. The action functions normally, the hammer holds at half cock and full cock, even though the hammer screw is broken off. The patina of the lock is a little darker than the barrel and bands. There are two sling swivels present, but the one on the front barrel band is a rear sling swivel. The ramrod is also present. The nose cap, trigger guard and butt plate are brass and have a mellow golden patina. The stock is in good condition, having no stress cracks or major wood loss. There are two small cracks near the nose cap, one on each side of the stock. 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 clear coated at some point. The wood shows to be a nice medium brown walnut under the clear coat. 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 1862 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 # AA3079
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