Advice/Suggestions 1861 Enfield clone

[Dude]

I picked up a Navy Arms Enfiled from an inmate here and love it except for one little thing.

The gun had been presented as some sort of corporate award and a brass plaque had been embedded on the right side of the stock. It's an oval 2.5" long and 1.75" tall.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/attachments/67db7ebd-9ae5-4a16-9dc8-a3785a5291d3-jpeg.56341/
My first thought was to install a patch box - a TC Hawken would cover the hole nicely. The more I thought about it, the more it didn't 'fit' with the character of the gun.

Did any of these rifles come with patch boxes?

Another thought was to create a new emblem with some sort of confederate symbolism or image.

Any ideas? How would you salvage something like this?

 

[Pete G]

Personally, I would just live with it.

 

[bisleyjohn]

I agree, live with it, it’s part of the gun’s history. In three generations time it will give it’s new custodian a point of interest. If you must change it put in a replacement brass insert with something which ties it to you, or start a list of owners names perhaps.

 

[RhinoDave]

Like others, I would probably live with it. If you really don't like it, you could always take it out and replace it with a wood plug that closely matches the grain and stained to match the existing stock. I did this on a rifle to remove brass hearts that I didn't like.

 

[Zonie]

There were a few Rifled Muskets that came with a patchbox. The Remington Model 1863, Zouave" for instance.

Actually, during the later stages of the Percussion era, "cap boxes" were quite common on rifles so it is entirely possible that following the WBS someone could have obtained the gun and had a cap box installed.

Here's a link to some of the ones that are for sale.

https://www.logcabinshop.com/catalog.php?route=product/category&path=183_165_51

 

[Dude]

Thanks, Zonie. I guess it helps knowing anything could have been possible. My big question is what would fit the best with the character of the piece. I'd like whatever I do to look like it belongs. Not only belongs, but adds to the aesthetics.