Euroarms 1858 Enfield
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'morning,
I have one, and it's noticeably heavier than the ArmiSport version. It shoots well, both blank and live.
Keep in mind that with EuroArms now out of business, supplies of parts are starting to dry up and/or command premium prices.
Calum
I have one, and it's noticeably heavier than the ArmiSport version. It shoots well, both blank and live.
Keep in mind that with EuroArms now out of business, supplies of parts are starting to dry up and/or command premium prices.
Calum
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I've seen and shot a couple of these rifles, and make the following comments based on that experience.
The wood on both of them was totally stunning - waaaaay too good for what purports to be a martial arm.
The hammer/cock mainspring was like hauling back on a set of BSA front-fork springs by hand. I don't think I've ever encountered one that was harder to cock. The results, even with the shrouded hammer face, was cap fragments going everywhere - wear eye protection.
Both liked the Lyman 535gr deep-base Minié bullet, and shot it very well with only 65gr of FFg. They were both fairly accurate down to around 45gr, but both hit the sweet spot at 65.
Both were heavy compared with either a Parker-Hale version or the real thing, prolly from the use of denser wood, or perhaps the barrels were a tad thicker.
IMO they were good value for money here in UK when they were bought - around half the price of a P-H version - and for most people, satisfactory substitutes for the real thing.
tac
The wood on both of them was totally stunning - waaaaay too good for what purports to be a martial arm.
The hammer/cock mainspring was like hauling back on a set of BSA front-fork springs by hand. I don't think I've ever encountered one that was harder to cock. The results, even with the shrouded hammer face, was cap fragments going everywhere - wear eye protection.
Both liked the Lyman 535gr deep-base Minié bullet, and shot it very well with only 65gr of FFg. They were both fairly accurate down to around 45gr, but both hit the sweet spot at 65.
Both were heavy compared with either a Parker-Hale version or the real thing, prolly from the use of denser wood, or perhaps the barrels were a tad thicker.
IMO they were good value for money here in UK when they were bought - around half the price of a P-H version - and for most people, satisfactory substitutes for the real thing.
tac
Hi,
I have one, recently purchased.
I agree with the 65gr FF load...of Swiss powder. For 50 meters, 55gr Swiss FF also works well, with less powder waste.
Mine one loves the Pedersoli .580 640gr minié, wich is a clone of the Lyman 575213PH, but heavier and in .580 .
About parts, I ordered a mainspring for the Chiappa Enfield 1853 and fits perfectly. I suspect that other parts from Chiappa or Pedersoli will work just fine.
I have one, recently purchased.
I agree with the 65gr FF load...of Swiss powder. For 50 meters, 55gr Swiss FF also works well, with less powder waste.
Mine one loves the Pedersoli .580 640gr minié, wich is a clone of the Lyman 575213PH, but heavier and in .580 .
About parts, I ordered a mainspring for the Chiappa Enfield 1853 and fits perfectly. I suspect that other parts from Chiappa or Pedersoli will work just fine.
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I have one. It likes a prb better than a minnie!!!
hanshi
Cannon
I had one back in the late 1960s. I really can't remember what it was but don't think it was a Euroarms. I shot both minies and prb and shot it a lot. But for the life of me I can't recall anything about its accuracy. I only shot squirrels with it and could make head/neck shots.
I also still have a Euroarms .54 US M1841 "Mississippi" rifle. That one has a very nice walnut stock and the hammer cocks easily. It's phenomenally accurate and I've taken deer with it. The US M1841 was designed for prb and that's what I shoot.
I also still have a Euroarms .54 US M1841 "Mississippi" rifle. That one has a very nice walnut stock and the hammer cocks easily. It's phenomenally accurate and I've taken deer with it. The US M1841 was designed for prb and that's what I shoot.
chainshot09
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I had a Euroarms 1858 for many years, it was my first rifled musket. Other than a terrible trigger pull which I remedied, it shot very well. I used the old .575 minie balls from Dixie lubed with Thompson/Center Bore butter in the base, and 70 grns of Goex 2F and the super hot Navy Arms Brazilian made musket caps.
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Sasquash said:
Euroarms Enfield Rifle Muskets and those Navy Arms Enfield copies made by Euroarms, were manufactured by Armi San Paolo. The only difference between Navy Arms Enfields and Euroarms Enfields were that Val Forgett, Jr. had them stamp a Crown and "VF" (for Val Forgett) on the Navy Arms lock plates. Otherwise, all parts totally interchange.
Armi Sport was the Italian Arms manufacturer that made the Enfield Rifle muskets originally sold through Taylors & Company and are often known as Chiappa made guns. Though the Armi Sport mainspring and possibly sear spring may fit the Armi San Paolo/Euroarms/Navy Arms Enfields, the rest of the lock parts won't fit with the possible exception of the stirrup. (I'm not sure about the stirrup as I never tried interchanging that part.) I would have to pull out the parts, but I don't think the lock screws will interchange, either.
My first WBTS gun was a real British made Parker Hale P 1858 "Rifle" that I used to reenact as a Confederate States Marine and shot it with live rounds every now and then. I handled and worked on a LOT of Navy Arms/Euroarms P 1858 "Rifles" and never noticed any real difference in weight between them and the real Parker Hale P 1858. (BTW, A "Rifle Musket" was the original and common nomenclature for a full length "3 Band" percussion Musket as in the P1853 Repro's and M 1855/1861 Springfields with three Bands. A "Rifle" was the nomenclature for the 2 Band P 1858 and 2 Band M 1855/1861 Springfields. Shorter percussion military arms for both Enfield and Springfield guns firing the Musket Cartridge were known as either Carbines or Musketoons.)
Also, parts for the real British Parker Hale Rifle Muskets will totally interchange with original "Interchangeable Parts" Enfields - but they won't interchange with either the Navy Arms/Euroarms/Armi San Paolo Enfields and they also won't interchange with the Armi Sport/Chiappa Enfields.
Though the Navy Arms/Euroarms/Armi San Paolo Enfields are not as high quality as the real British Made Parker Hale guns, they are very serviceable guns.
Gus
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BTW, the P1858 Enfields (and other "2 Band" Rifles) were more popular with North South Skirmish Association Shooters than the P1853 and other "3 Band" Muskets. The 2 Band Rifle Barrels are a bit thicker in diameter as well as being shorter than the 3 Band Rifle Muskets. That makes them better for Off hand shooting. Also, original documentation for the original Enfields has shown the 2 Band Rifles were more accurate than the 3 Band rifles.
So, if someone wants a WBTS musket to shoot, it is usually better to get a 2 Band Rifle.
Now, reenactors prefer the 3 Band Rifle Muskets because that way the reenactors armed with them can stand in the "Rear" or 2nd Rank in formations and the muzzles of the 3 Band Rifle Muskets stick out further ahead of the Soldiers in the Front Rank, than the shorter 2 Band Muskets. BUT many, if not most reenactors don't shoot their guns with live rounds NEAR as much as other shooters and many reenactors have only ever fired blank rounds.
Gus
So, if someone wants a WBTS musket to shoot, it is usually better to get a 2 Band Rifle.
Now, reenactors prefer the 3 Band Rifle Muskets because that way the reenactors armed with them can stand in the "Rear" or 2nd Rank in formations and the muzzles of the 3 Band Rifle Muskets stick out further ahead of the Soldiers in the Front Rank, than the shorter 2 Band Muskets. BUT many, if not most reenactors don't shoot their guns with live rounds NEAR as much as other shooters and many reenactors have only ever fired blank rounds.
Gus
