British Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle (AL5461)

This blued Pattern 1853 British percussion Enfield rifle features a lock marked 1862 over TOWER with a crown at the tail. The overall length is approx. 55.5". The 39" round 577 caliber barrel has a fine bore with strong rifling with a little erosion toward the muzzle. It is a smooth blue/brown and has Birmingham proofs along with the 25 bore (577) caliber mark. There is very light pitting around the bolster. The lock and hammer have much of their original blue which is starting to turn brown. The bands are blue/brown. The swivels and a replacement ramrod are present. The stock is very good with light usage/storage dents and dings and an added finish coat. There are two inspection stamps to the rear of the trigger guard. The brass nose cap, trigger guard, and butt plate are very good. The action functions correctly. This rifle comes with a blued Pattern 53 bayonet that correctly fits it. Most (about 1,000,000) of the Civil War era commercial Pattern 53 Enfields like this one served with either the North or South, as this one most likely did. This rifle would be a good fit in a Civil War collection.