Pattern 1853 Enfield

[KyJim]

I discovered my father has been hanging onto an old gun that had been left at my grandfather's gunsmith shop when he passed away in 1973. From my research it appears to be a two-band 1853 pattern Enfield rifled musket. It has a crown mark with VR underneath it and also has the word "Tower" and "1861" over it. The stock is broken off and part of the trigger guard is also broken off. I had a few questions.

1. Am I correct that the crown marking means this was made and issued by the British government, possibly in Birmingham?

2. What does "VR" designate? A proof mark? Also what does "Tower" indicate? I understand the "1861" is probably date of manufacture.

3. The inside of the bore measured .586. I've seen references to the rifle's caliber as both .577 and .58. Which one is correct or does it matter?

4. I'm toying with the idea of restoring it. Anyone know where a replacement stock and trigger guard might be found?

Thanks in advance.

[Satanic Toaster]

I have a three-band enfield repro that I use for reenactment purposes. the two different sizes you mention are correct as far as I can remember. I cast .58 round balls for it and I think my minie ball mold is a .577 so technically either would be correct. Also, don't worry, I don't load any of the cast balls during reenactments.

[Hardcase]

The crown and VR symbols are ownership stamps of the British government (VR stands for Victoria Regina).

As far as finding a stock and other parts, you can try searching the usual suspects, like Dixie Gun Works, Track of the Wolf or IMA-USA.

.58 caliber is the standard designation.

Best of luck! It sounds like a fun project!

[KyJim]

Thanks! This would be my first project on something like this so listing the "usual suspects" is a help.

[James K]

The "Tower" indicates that the rifle-musket was accepted for service at the Tower of London, in that period the home of what we might call "army ordnance." Many muskets of that period were made in Birmingham and shipped to America for both US and CS forces without going anywhere near the Tower, so the marking was really put on because it made the guns look as if they were made for British service.

It is probably a Model 1853 three-band Enfield. That musket has been reproduced by several companies, mainly in Italy, and repro stocks are available. I think your best bet would be S&S Firearms (www.ssfirearms.com) for a repro trigger guard and a new stock. (The latter would run around $275, but that outfit has a reputation for having good quality so the stock would likely need very little fitting.

The Enfield was nominally .577, and the Springfield was .58, but in fact with hollow base "Minie balls" it didn't much matter and the U.S. issued ball ammunition marked on the cases as .577 for use in either rifle.

Jim

[KyJim]

I took off some cell phone photos to post here. Excuse the quality and clutter in my father's outbuilding. I may be wrong but I think this is a two band.

[Hawg]

It is a two band or short Enfield in .577 caliber. .58's would work for a few shots but being almost the same size as the bore of the Enfield got increasingly difficult to load. I've read accounts of soldiers using .58 minies in their Enfields and ramming the ramrod against trees to seat them. It's a shame you sanded the patina off of it.

[radom]

Really hard to say whom the maker was too as they where a bit of a secret squirrel deal. My guess is its is a birmingham gun made to birt army specs and marked to look like brit army that was shipped to the US as a Union army purchase or one left over sold and imported after the war to the market in the US. The 1860s version of what they called in the late deal in Viet-Nam a "sanitized" gun.

[jtb1967]

From the photos, that must be the super rare bullpup version

[gyvel]

The two bands were Naval, or "Sea Service" muskets made primarily for the Royal Navy. They are generally known as "Pattern 1858."

The Minie ball used in them has a deep hollow base and thin skirts that expand to engage the rifling. The undersize ball made loading a bit easier when the bore began to foul, but when fired were quite accurate.

[Hawg]

Really hard to say whom the maker was too as they where a bit of a secret squirrel deal.

No. There were a variety of manufacturers. The Tower marked guns were made in Birmingham. Guns made in the Tower armory were marked L.A. Co. The most common manufacturers were COOPER & GOODMAN, PRYSE & REDMAN, JOSEPH WILSON, J. BOURNE, E & G HACKETT, T TURNER, W L SARGANT, W SCOTT, BENTLEY & PLAYFAIR, JOSEPH SMITH, KING & PHILLIPS, R & W ASTON, SWINBURN, J. BOURNE. These were all B'ham guns. Not all carried the VR. Guns were maunfactured on the date stamped on the lock.

[Hawg]

The two bands were Naval, or "Sea Service" muskets made primarily for the Royal Navy. They are generally known as "Pattern 1858."

Actually the two band was made for both Army and Navy. Confederate sharp shooters liked the two band. There was the 56, 58 and 60 patterns. The 56 and 58 had shallow three groove rifling while the 60 Army and Navy had deeper progressive rifling with five grooves and a 1:48 twist against the older 1:78 twist.

[gyvel]

I'm only aware of three patterns: The 1853 so-called three band, the 1858 Sea Service musket and the 1861 "musketoon," or carbine.

[Hawg]

Here ya go gyvel http://www.cfspress.com/sharpshooters/arms.html

[KyJim]

It's a shame you sanded the patina off of it.

I didn't. Not sure if my father did, his father did, or whoever brought it in originally 40+ years ago.

Thanks to everybody for all the information. Very interesting and kinda' cool to have a little history.

[Southron]

The P-58 Naval Riflse were made for the British Navy by a variety of different contractors.

You will be happy to know that your "Naval Rifle," (as it was called) was one of the most accurate of all the muzzleloading Enfields because it employed 5 land and groove rifling with a 1 in 48 twist. Their accuracy is legendary.

By the way, your Naval Rifle has the "3rd Model" barrel bands, also known as the "Palmer Bands." These were found on most of the Enfields imported into America during "The War of Northern Aggression" by both the Union and the Confederacy.

During the latter part of the war, General Robert E. Lee approved the organization of special Sharpshooter units. These units were made up of the best marksmen and they were issued Naval Rifles (or the army version of the same) along with British made ammunition. These Sharpshooters performed picket duties and also acted as snipers. They were an elite unit.

Now, only two factories in England manufactured "machine made," fully interchangeable" Enfields. This was the government armory at Enfield Lock and also a private company: The London Armory Company. Their lockplates were marked "LACo."

Interestingly enough, even the parts between arms manufactured by Enfield and LACo were fully interchangeable with each other! Most of the machinery used in those two armories was made in the United States and set up by armory workers from the United States.

As for the arms marked "Tower" on the lockplates:

These were made by a much older system for manufacturing firearms. They were made in a "Cottage Industry" system.

This was a highly specialized system. For example: Locks were made by "lock makers" and these artisans had a contract with the British Ordnance Department. They would deliver their completed locks to the Tower of London and be paid. (If, of course, the parts passed inspection.) The same is true with the barrel makers, furniture makers, etc.

Then another set of contractors, "Stockers" would stop by the Tower and be issued all the parts for a specific number of arms. They would stock the arms and return them to the Tower and be paid for their work. Of course, arms made under this system were marked "Tower" on the lockplate and were government property.

Now, during "The Late Unpleasantness Between the States" there was such a demand for Enfields from both the Union and Confederacy some gunmakers would mark their lockplates with the spurious "Tower" marking simply as a sales tool.

Also, you will note all over your Naval Rifle you will find a series of small, stamped letters and other markings. For example-if your ramrod channel is not too worn you will see some letters stamped INSIDE THE RAMROD CHANNEL. This will be the mark of the contractor that stocked the arm.

You will also find other letters stamped inside the lockplate. This will be the mark of the lockmaker. Same with the underside of the barrel, etc.

After you have decipered all of those markings, then go to:

www.mlabg.com/

This is the website of the Muzzleloading Association of Great Britain. Go to their "Forum" and then to their "Rifle & Musket" web page. Then just list the markings you have found on your Enfield and I am sure someone can tell you the name of all of those individuals and/or contractors that made parts for your arm.

Keep in mind you have a "Non-interchangeable" Enfield; so if you have to replace any parts, you will most likely have to do a bit of hand fitting.

You can order a 90% Enfield stock from S&S Firearms made by Dunlap. So replacing that stock should not be much of a problem. GOOD LUCK!

[Southron]

OOPS! I transposed the letters for the website of the Muzzleloading Association of Great Britain.

Their correct web address is:

www.mlagb.com/

[James K]

FWIW, locks made by contractors were taken to the Tower "in the white"; if they passed inspection and were accepted for service, they were disassembled, and the word "TOWER" and the royal crown and cipher were engraved, not stamped, on the lockplate by government workers, making the lock official crown property. Then the lockplate was hardened (if hardened by the manufacturer it could not have been engraved) and the lock reassembled and placed in store until needed.

Jim

[KyJim]

More and more information. Thanks!

The rifle is still at my father's house and we live in different towns. So, it will be awhile before I can check the markings further. When I do, I'll visit the website mentioned and also look at S&S.

[Southron]

Dear KYJim:

Look on the barrel breech across from the bolster. You will see some proof marks there but also either a "24" or a "25."

These numbers refer to the bore size in terms of "Gauge." This is determined by how many round balls can be cast out of 1 pound of lead. i.e., a "12 Gauge" means that 12 round balls can be cast out of a pound of lead. Yep, that is how we still designate shotgun calibers!

Anyway, a "25" Gauge would designate a bore diameter of .577 and a "24" Gauge would designate a .58 Caliber.

Some (but by no means all) Enfields specifically made for export to America were especially made in "24 Gauge" because .58 Caliber was the U.S. military standard caliber at the time.

So, IF you see one or two "24's" stamped on the breech of your Naval Rifle you can be assured that it was made specifically for export to America!

[KyJim]

Look on the barrel breech across from the bolster. You will see some proof marks there but also either a "24" or a "25."

Will do on my next visit or will ask my father to check the next time I call.

[James K]

While the Enfield was often considered a "Southern" rifle, so many were issued to Federal troops that the US issued ammo in .577 with crates marked for both Enfield and Springfield rifles.

Jim