• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Shortening an Enfield ??

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Jun 17, 2019
Messages
8,383
Reaction score
9,771
I have a de-farb Enfield musket that's way too heavy (and long!) for me. Am thinking of shortening the barrel to 24". Did the original Confederates shorten damaged barrels on Enfield muskets? Not that that matters, I'm not in the re-enacting field. Would be interesting to know how they did that back in the day. I envision cutting the bbl. in front of the second band, and tastefully (if that's possible!) shaping the wood to blend in. It's a high quality gun but weighs over ten pounds! I do have an older like-new Euroarms carbine replica, so it's not like I'm needing another short Enfield musket. Recall that the CSA shortened damaged M42 muskets, ala; the Macon conversion. (Any barrels I have shortened have been done by a pro 'smith, who can also machine dovetails, etc. )
 
Due to the desirability of the Enfield muskets, I would suggest that you sell it to someone who could use it unaltered, and buy yourself a Musketoon or other rifle suitable to your needs. Of course, it is your gun and you can do whatever you want with it.

ADK Bigfoot
I like and prefer your advice. I have an Enfield musketoon already. I will offer it maybe here, but will not crate, ship, worry about funds transfer, etc. I'll try for a face-to-face, that way there's no question of 'returns' or other stuff. When I decide, I'll list it here with detailed description, etc. Thanks for your comment.
 
Go to a dealer named Rebel Relics. He's got some high end Confederate stuff for sale, but he does have a cutdown P53 that he believes is a legit period alteration. I believe the barrel was cut to 25 inches. It would be a good gun to use as an example if you do cut your down. I say go for it.
 
Your Enfield is a repro, right? Do with it whatever you want. If it was an original I would probably be coming to do you harm. 😄
Yes! But, it's a high-end repro; De-Farb by Todd Watts 20 yrs. ago, (Blockade Runner). Got sterling write up in Craig Barry's highly regarded book, The Civil War Musket, which detailed many of the then available repro muskets. Highest praise for the details and workmanship. Now, it's un-fired, I don't really want to cut it, and WON'T. I'd like to sell it but face to face only, not interested in shipping and all the foo-faw-roll involved; (money transfer, possibility of 'returns', etc. It simply weighs too much! I'm sure WITH the beautifully fitted bayonet, it's about 11 lbs.! I have many other items and simply could use the money for other things. It was about a grand 20 years ago!, and since it's unfired, I'd need a grand now. One fellow from NH, I think, was interested some time back, but as I'm only face-to-face, that's an impediment. Thanks for your comment. This is a great, informative, fun site.
 
I've often commented about the weight of this particular Enfield; so I re-weighed it WITHOUT the ramrod, which is a full 10 oz. unto itself! The sling doesn't add much, but the musket without the rammer, as if you're at the range, is 10 lbs. give or take a tiny bit. I never realized the steel rammer was 10 oz.
 
Back
Top