I found an original civil war Enfield rifle.

[LuckyDucky]

Both of your rifle muskets were accepted into Her Majesty’s service. The chances they came over for service in our Civil War are very minute, but that shouldn’t matter. You have 1 Birmingham (Tower) and 1 London (Enfield) gun. Now don’t forget to photograph the proofs.

ETA: DO NOT TRY RESTORING THOSE GUNS. They will lose most of their value. And do not fire them.

Duly noted. Thank you, Clark.
Her Majesty's service...got it.
What supports your idea that the guns were not in America during the Civil War? Why doesn't it matter?
You sure are full of enthusiasm in your caveat about restoring...why will they lose so much value if they are what they are?
Thank you.

 

[Clark Badgett]

Duly noted. Thank you, Clark.
Her Majesty's service...got it.
What supports your idea that the guns were not in America during the Civil War? Why doesn't it matter?
You sure are full of enthusiasm in your caveat about restoring...why will they lose so much value if they are what they are?
Thank you.

Most of the P53 Enfields purchased by US and CS agents during our CW were made up by the private contractors mostly in Birmingham and a few in London. Most that were imported were newly made at the time. For certain there were older surplus Type 1&2 Enfields imported as well but they were not anywhere near being the majority. The newly made Enfields were never accepted into royal service and will lack the crown/broad arrow and VR stampings. They will commonly have legitimate view and proof markings and often enough a 24 or 25 gauge marking by the proofs.
And I said it shouldn’t matter if they came here or not mainly due to the fact that England has enough of its own history revolving around this era that they are significant in their own right.
In the antique firearms collecting community it is now greatly frowned upon to do much beyond oiling and preserving of historic arms. Unlike many other areas of collecting where restoration is considered acceptable and even often enough increases value.

 

[LuckyDucky]

Thank you, Clark.
Well, it looks like my sword is manufactured in America for the Civil War, but the Enfield's were P53 guns that saw action somewhere in Europe. Since you say they were unlikely to have come to America for the Civil War, the '57 may have been in action in the Indian Rebellion and the '61, well, not sure about that. Curious how they came to be purchased in an antique store in the Midwest. If you would like to converse more on email, my address is: kabauman86(at)hotmail(dot)com .

The guns are with a professional gunsmith who will be "preserving" them rather than "restoring" them. You were helpful for me to understand this. Looking forward to hearing from you if you want to email. Thanks.

 

[Clark Badgett]

They probably came here due to IMA importing them from Nepal. Some of that stash was in remarkably good condition, some looked like dug relics.

 

[LuckyDucky]

Clark, would you say, from the photos you saw, that my P53's are in "remarkably good condition or otherwise? I understand from you that they likely were not American CW equipment. Why shouldn't I fire them if they are approved by a professional gunsmith for pressure and such? Is it because you're concerned for safety or their value or both, or what, please? Thank you. LuckyDucky.

 

[TFoley]

Thank you, Clark.
Well, it looks like my sword is manufactured in America for the Civil War, but the Enfield's were P53 guns that saw action somewhere in Europe. Since you say they were unlikely to have come to America for the Civil War, the '57 may have been in action in the Indian Rebellion and the '61, well, not sure about that. Curious how they came to be purchased in an antique store in the Midwest. If you would like to converse more on email, my address is: kabauman86(at)hotmail(dot)com .

The guns are with a professional gunsmith who will be "preserving" them rather than "restoring" them. You were helpful for me to understand this. Looking forward to hearing from you if you want to email. Thanks.

The United Kingdom was only at war in the 1850s in the Crimea. The Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 was not viewed as a war, but an armed rebellion/insurgency.

At least one of these rifles was 'sold out of service' to the commercial market. The crown with a vertical arrow is the sign applied when this happens. The significance of the dotted stripes is unknown.

AAMOI, it is far easier for a lot of people to view images as taken by an ordinary camera and inserted here, rather than via a pdf. That method of viewing a file is not as common as you might think.

Also, a few tips on taking photos in general - some of which you actually have done -

1. Full length on a neutral well-lit background - both sides. Horizontally and right way up, please, us older folks gots cricky necks.

2. Close-ups of the lockplates, sights [front and rear], and the muzzle.

3. Any significant stamps or marks, especially proof marks, where applicable. Stamps on the wood are also useful in tying down provenance.

Standing guns in a cluttered corner and taking photographs from a distance is unhelpful when you are asking us to help you with details.

 

[TFoley]

Clark, would you say, from the photos you saw, that my P53's are in "remarkably good condition or otherwise? I understand from you that they likely were not American CW equipment. Why shouldn't I fire them if they are approved by a professional gunsmith for pressure and such? Is it because you're concerned for safety or their value or both, or what, please? Thank you. LuckyDucky.

Surely your OWN safety should come first? Then that of anybody standing around you who might get hit by fragments of either of your guns. Or of you.