What brands do you recommend for an Enfield?

[aragornelessar86]

Looking to buy an Enfield rifle for reenacting, but I don't have a lot of cash available. What brand do you recommend for something reliable and accurate, but won't cost a fortune?

 

[Jerry Coffee]

I have an ArmiSport P53 Enfield 3-band infantry rifle musket. I purchased it from Blockade Runner Inc. for $539.95, plus shipping. I really like it for shooting accuracy and appearance. www.blockaderunner.com

Blockade Runner authenticated my rifle by adding the optional period inspection marks. That included adding the inspector's stamp, Confederate JS anchor stamp,, British Small Arms Trade cartouce, replace the sling swivels with correct ones, replaced the lock plate screw washers with correct ones, and the relocation of the ArmiSport serial number stampings to underneath the barrel. That option cost an additional additionmal 210.00.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Id say the Parker-Hale is the cream of the crop.

and they aint cheap

 

[faw3]

You sshould really watch the for sale here, seems not long ago one went for 300 or so. What do you mean by "Enfield rifle for reenacting" and "but won't cost a fortune? " I may be wrong but think that isnt cheap, the rifle may be the easy part! :rotf: Good luck and hope you have a great time. Fred :hatsoff:

 

[Jumpshot]

Shop around for a used one. I recently picked up a used ArmiSport for $350. You can see it here.

 

[Jerry Coffee]

Since you want a Enfield rifle musket for reenacting, it would be more economical to buy a new P53 Enfield made in India. Those rifles should not be live fired but they are perfectly safe for blank firing with 60 or 70 gr. 3f BP. They are correct in appearance from a distance of 5 or 10 yards. If you damage one of those cheaper rifles, you will not damage a rifle that you have $1000 to $1200 invested in.

They are perfect for reenactors. However, reenacting events are mainly for the reenactors and you will find many "stitch counters" among those gentlemen who would be critical of a Enfield rifle musket made in India.

Frazer Bros. in Dallas has new India 3-band P53 Enfield rifles for $350. www.frazerbrothers.com

 

[Jumpshot]

Frazer Bros. in Dallas has new India 3-band P53 Enfield rifles for $350. www.frazerbrothers.com

Can you post a link for that one? The only one I can find on their website is an ArmiSport for $505.

 

[jbg]

An Armisport Enfield for $539 ??????????

A couple years ago they were going for $399.

Has the dollar declined that much?

 

[Jerry Coffee]

Frazer Brothers have been expanding their on-line catalog continously and not all of the merchadise they have available is listed yet. About a year ago, I noticed their India P53 Enfield rifle musket on a gun rack when I visited their store to purchase some brogans. At that time Bruce Frazer told me about it and gave me a price.

Today, I looked at their current on-line catalog and they have added many items that was not there six months ago. I did not even know they had Armisport P53 Enfield rifle muskets available. However, I still would have purchased my Armisport P53 Enfield rifle musket from Blockade Runner in Wartrace TN even at the higher price for the rifle alone because I wanted to have it already authentized (defarbed) when I opened the box. Then I would not have box it up again and send it out to get the rifle defarbed.

The best thing to do about the India P53 Enfield Rifle musket if you wan to buy one or any other item that is not in Frazer Brothers on-line catalog, is to give them a call. Gay Frazer will probably answer the phone because she is at the store about three or four days a week filling mail orders.

 

[Coot]

Id say the Parker-Hale is the cream of the crop.

and they aint cheap

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Go with a used P-H if you can find one. Used is cheaper, looks better for reenactment than shiny new & you will be a little more inclined to use it. Also, if you are going for reenactment, ask if anyone in your unit has an extra or knows someone getting out of reenacting. You may get a lot more than just an Enfield AND, most importantly, by working with your unit, you will not waste time & money on equipment that doesn't fit with the unit standards.

 

[jdstrang]

Has the dollar declined that much?

Yep. We're almost $10 trillion in debt, borrowing $3 billion a day, and merchants in major East Coast cities are keeping Euro cash drawers. We're in the dumpster, bud. Get used to the rats.

As to the question? Armi Sport. It's the best combo of cost and function.

 

[aragornelessar86]

I'm also willing to go with a 1861 Springfield. how about this one? it seems like a good price, and I hear that Pedersoli is a really good manufacturer.

P.S. If this post is a violation of the "no advertising" rules I'm sorry. I'm still a little confused about those rules.

 

[hocuspocus]

Id say the Parker-Hale is the cream of the crop.

and they aint cheap

no but by darned they shoot :thumbsup:

 

[Jerry Coffee]

Usually a supplier of replica muskets will not give a price on their website or advertisments because the prices increase constantly and most suppliers do not keep the rifles in their inventory waiting on a buyer. If a rifle musket is $400 one day, in a week in may be $500 and so on. A replica rifle will never be cheaper than it is right now, today, this minute. In 1930 a loaf of bread cost 5-cents.

The Gibbs Rifle Co. (owned by Navy Arms) has reintroduced the Parker-Hale P53 Enfield 3-band musket with original tooling and it is a accurate and excellent rifle. Unfortunately, a new one costs at least $1000 and that price is waaaay too much for this po'mouth Southern boy.

I was told that the Parker-Hale P53 Enfield shoots a .577" minie so the normal .575" minie will be too loose in the bore, at least for accuracy. If that is true, you must pour your own lead minies because precast .577" minies are not easy to find. I have never seen any .577" for sale from the usual sources. I pay .25 cents each for precast-prelubed .575" minies from Moyer's Bullets.

The Euro Arms M1863 Springfield rifle musket is a good choice but IMO, it is not as good as ArmiSport 3-band P53 Enfield rifle musket. The cost of both are nearly the same. The rifle muskets are as varied in quality and cost as women's shoes.

 

[Jumpshot]

...precast .577" minies are not easy to find.

Dixie sells the smooth-sided .577, swaged.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=13049

 

[Jerry Coffee]

...precast .577" minies are not easy to find.

Dixie sells the smooth-sided .577, swaged.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=13049

The Dixie Gun Works minie shown in the link is for a .577" ID BORE but the projectile is .575" OD swaged MINIE. Just as it says in the DGW link.

People often confuse the BORE diameter (caliber) with the diameter of the MINIE. Usually a rifled musket bore is .001" to .002" larger than the minie that is to be fired. The Confederate Gardner style 2-ring minie (Lyman 577611 mold)is .576" diameter but with a thicker skirt. The thicker skirt on the Gardner style minie does not obturate (expand) to fill the bore so the Gardner .576" OD minie and the rifle musket bore size must be the same size or the minie must be no more than .001" smaller.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The Parker Hale has a .577 bore which is tighter than the Springfield's .58. So when you load a .575 Springfield Minie into the Parker Hale you get a tighter fit and better accuracy.

 

[Jerry Coffee]

The Dixie Gun Works BU0901 is .577" OD and 560 gr.wt. Those are designed for the Parker Hale Enfield rifle muskets and are the same size as the Parker-Hale .577" bore and have 3 shallow grease grooves in order to limit obturation.

Skirt expansion (obturation) of the minie is not necessary with a .577" Parker Hale P53 Enfield rifle musket bore and the DGW BU0901 .577" minie. Track of The Wolf BALL-58-MINIE is also for the Parker Hale P53 Enfield and both minies are "supposed" to be made from a Lyman 575213-New Style mold. However, I put my Track of the Wolf (BALL-58-MINIE) minies through a .575" die and they are actually .576" OD and are 510 gr. wt. The DGW BU0901 minies fit a Armisport P53 Enfield but are more difficult to load. I am wary of a zero clearance fit and high pressures when using the regular hot forged Armisport and Euro Arms barrels. I want some bore to minie clearance when using those rifle muskets.

Parker Hale Enfield rifle muskets have cold forged barrels for the high strength needed to withstand the higher pressures created by the zero fit between the .577" ID bore and .577" OD minie.

 

[aragornelessar86]

And here we go out of my price range. Much as I'd love a Parker Hale, my budget will not currently allow it. Also, I'm leaning towards the Springfield 1861 now because the historical accuracy is better for my unit. About Pedersoli though, would it be worth the extra cost to wait for a used one to come along, or isn't there any advantage with a Pedersoli over a Euroarms or Armisport?

 

[aragornelessar86]

Awesome, thank you. (I hope you don't get in trouble for posting that.)