Pattern 1853 Enfield Musket - Tang Repair

[M100C]

Hi All,
I have taken in an old 1861 dated Pattern 1853 Enfield (Tower) Musket. Looks to be all original, and I have posed pictures of some markings under the barrel and lock. The musket is well used and pitted, so there are no barrel marking still visible. I welcome any information on its make, etc.

It has what appears to be a real old inlaid brass tang repair (on top of the tang) ending in a botched screw head holding the trigger guard. I cannot make out whether there is a screw passing through the tang, and the relationship between the diamond atop the tang and the trigger guard screw below; if there is any relationship. Any thoughts?

[Patrick Chadwick]

It looks like an iron nail inserted from the bottom, with its head in the brass diamond, and then hammered down in the hole in the buttplate tang. Some kind of emergency repair, I imagine.
Unfortunately, you have not provided a photo that shows the whole of the butt, so one cannot tell whether this ugly-looking repair was needed to close up a split in the butt.
Anyway, a neater repair would be a long bolt through the (presumed) through-hole, screwed into a threaded hole in the brass diamond. Which is how I would tidy it up, unless there is a historical reason to leave it as it is - e.g. "battlefield repair & part of its history".

there are no barrel marking still visible

Well, you contradicted yourself by providing a photo of barrel markings! Seems it was No.789 of a batch by GP. It looks as if GP was a manufacturer of significant quantities. I suggest that you post a query here

British Militaria Forums - Victorian-era British arms, accoutrements, and military history.

where you have the best chance of someone being able to identify "GP".

[butlersrangers]

"G.P." may stand for Government of Portugal. The Portuguese used British pattern arms in the late 1800s. IIRC - Portuguese arsenals manufactured some of their British pattern arms.

FWIW - Portuguese Snider cavalry carbines, made by B.S.A. around 1875, are marked "G.P." beneath the Portuguese crown, on the tail of the lock-plate.

IMHO - The "Nail/Rivet" repair and "Diamond shaped brass inlay" on your '1853 Enfield' pattern ML appear to be later amateur work.

[butlersrangers]

BTW - I don't recall seeing British made, (Enfield or Tower), lock-plates serial numbered on the inside to match a number on the barrel, like your #789.

Possibly this is indicative of manufacture in an arsenal on the Continent, like in Portugal.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Even after cleaning my reading glasses, I can't see a lockplate in Michigan from here in Mauserland. So how about a photo of the lockplate?

[M100C]

Hey All,
I did not catch the replies to this post. Very sorry; will go back and thank!

@Peter
I am not sure what is up. I posted a picture of the backside of the lock plate, but the link below also has many more pictures.

All,
I am befuddled about the stock. It looks old, but I noted it does not have the step usually found at the lock side of the rearmost barrel band; instead, it is sloped. I don't think it was sanded; it looks to be cut that way. Also, there are no barrel band springs. Only mark I can find is under the rear trigger guard, which is marked "CD".

Again, the lock is a Tower dated 1861. The barrel and lock have matching numbers as do the trigger guard and trigger. I have seen reference to "GP" as a mark for Portugal, but it does not have these marks under the crown.

I am trying to decide whether the gun is worth repairing, and all advice would be appreciated.

Musket - Google Drive

[Patrick Chadwick]

Also, there are no barrel band springs.

Depending on when it was made, there don't have to be, It might have screwed bands (normal, or with recessed screw heads - known as Baddeley bands). Once again, this is shooting in the dark if we don't get any photos.



Oops! Sorry, overlooked the link.

Yes, you have a P53 with Baddeley bands, referred to by Skennerton as the 4th model.
The filed-off step on the wood behind the lower band is definitely "Bubbary", as the step locates the band.

The lockplate is marked 1861 over Tower. Tower-marked rifles were rifles delivered by contractors and the lockplates were marked with a crown, but without a V.R beneath the crown, as they were not produced in a government arsenal.

Numbers that are only visible internally - such as on the inside of the lockplate - are contractor's or assembler's batch numbers that are no longer visible when the rifle has been fully assembled, and thus nothing to do with the service number of the rifle.

Likeswise the GP on the inside of the lockplate and the CDS on the inletting for the trigger guard are initials of the contractors (locksmiths, stockmakers) and nothing to do with the official ownership of the gun. Referring back to the post by Butlers Rangers, it is conceivable that the components were delivered from Belgium.

You have a contractor-made Enfield P53, 4th Model, many of which (according to Skennerton) were used for conversion to Snider breechloaders. It has, unfortunately, been messed around with, so the collector value is relatively low for the type.

But any rifle of that vintage is worth caring for and keeping or bringing back to good shooting condition.