Vermont Flea Market Find; 1862 M53 Enfield

[majspud]

Found this last weekend while vacationing in VT. Excellent condition including bore and rifling. Missing the rear sight and front swivel, but cost $300 less than a reproduction. A reproduction rear sight and swivel arrived today. I stripped the blue on the sight by using vinegar. An original bayonet is on the way. Stock looks like it was made by Isaac Howlings and Son.

Still have to get the sight attached, then off to the range.

T

The bore pic got bunny-bombed.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[browningautorifle]

The bore pic got bunny-bombed

That's OK, we like to see him too from time to time...

[gsimmons]

Nice musket! You did well!

[CINDERS]

Wrascally Wabbits! they just do not care photo bombing, nice pick up good for you.............

[Patrick Chadwick]

I wish I'd found that!

British-made 1853 barrels were usually marked "25", 25 gauge being the equivalent of 0.577" calibre. "24" suggests a non-military barrel or a rebore of a worn barrel. The condition of the barrel does not match the rest of the rifle, so it would be advisable to remove the barrel and check it thoroughly, especially below the "waterline".

Before you actually shoot with it, please check the screw thread in the nipple boss. The angle of the nipple is not quite right and the threads might be crossed. A blown nipple would be a hazard to you and any neighbors on the firing line, as well as finally stripping the thread.

A few initial shots with tightly patched round balls will help to remove hard crud from the grooves, before using minies.

[jmoore]

The "24" marking seems rather common on P'53s in the US. Probably "unloaded" during the war as prime export material.

[majspud]

The metal is clean under the woodline and has the same patina.

Rifle is in the gun shop having the reproduction rear sight micro-welded on. They'll check the cone as well. It is seated correctly and fully inserted.

Hammer falls naturally to its current placement. It seems like a little material has been lost from the top part of the bolster.

T

[gew8805]

.......

Rifle is in the gun shop having the reproduction rear sight micro-welded on.

No offense to you but why "micro-welded"? The rear sights were originally quite effectively attached using solder and were nearly impossible to knock off when done that way. Is your gunsmith not able to solder? It is better, not to mention safer, on an original barrel.....

[majspud]

Micro-welding is a nearly invisible small welding process for cracks and such. I'll check if they are MW or soldering.

T

[Patrick Chadwick]

"The "24" marking seems rather common on P'53s in the US. Probably "unloaded" during the war as prime export material."

JM, I think you must be right. Since British rifle-muskets used a (nominal) 0.577" bore, i.e. 25 gauge, and the Americans used a (nominal) 0.580" bore, i.e. 24 gauge, perhaps this was an "export" marking. It would be interesting to know what the actual bore is now.

---------- Post added at 10:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 PM ----------

"No offense to you but why "micro-welded"? The rear sights were originally quite effectively attached using solder and were nearly impossible to knock off when done that way. Is your gunsmith not able to solder? It is better, not to mention safer, on an original barrel....."

Gew8805 is right. That would be a major sin against the restorer's creed of not doing anything irreversible. Solder can be unsoldered. But a weld cannot be unwelded.

You would be irreversibly merging a repro sight with an original barrel. What are you going to do if you find an original sight one day**? Grind the replica off?

Having once seen a beautiful shotgun barrel ruined by welding, I can only plead

DO NOT WELD AN ANTIQUE BARREL - EVER!!!


** That is not empty speculation. Peter Dyson in the UK sometimes has such items for sale!