British Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle (AL6983)

About 1,000,000 Pattern 1853 British Enfield percussion rifles were used by Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. This is most likely one of them. It has the "look" of a rifle musket that was used in campaigns and battles. The 39" round 577 caliber barrrel has a good bore with visivle rifling. All the metal has a brown patina with roughness in the breech area and on the hammer. The barrel has the expceted Birmingham proofs and 25 bore (577) markings. The lock is marked 1861 over TOWER with a crown at the tail. The brass nose cap, trigger guard, and butt plate have a dark age patina. The swivels and ramrod are present. The stock is bood with stable age cracks at the lock screw, top of comb, and rear of the lock, 35 and a small B on the left flat, a rough area that appears to have been charred by a campfire on the upper left butt, and the dents and dings expected of a battle-used firearm. The action functions correctly. As this Pattern 1853 was not issued to the British Army and is of the proper date and configuration (and is in the US) for a Union or Confederate purchased arm, it is virtually certain that it was used in the Civil War.