Could use some help or info on this old girl

Blegend

Blegend

CGN Regular
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Location
Nanaimo B.C
Hey guys,

So I recently came into this rifle. As much as I enjoy dabbling with my Hawkins rifle, this old girl is beyond my knowledge base. I can just make out Tower which makes me beleive its a Tower rifle, and the date I think is 1856, although it's a little difficult to make out. So far proof makes tell me it's sold out of service, buut that's about all I got. I would love a little info on what she is, and ballpark value. If it is a tower rifle I'm assuming it's .577 ball, which Id love to confirm so I can try her out. Thank you for any help you smokepole experts may offer.










 
This lovely old rifled musket was made to shoot a .577cal Minié bullet of around 535gr, not a ball of any kind. The service load was 2.5 drams - 68gr - of what was then called fine rifle powder. FFg is good these days. It will need musket caps, also known as 'top hat' caps from the shape.

Your rifle appears to be in VERY fine condition, but should not be shot until it has had a good look over by a knowledgeable person. This site, Youtube and the internet is chockfull of advice on shooting these lovely old guns, as we do here in UK at ranges of the limit of the sights - usually 800 yards, and as 303british and manyothers do on youtube. Another good guy to watch is murpheysmuskets.

Here in yUK, an example like this would easily go north of $2000.

I'm VERY jealous!

tac
 
The care and attention put into the assembly of parts from many sources, at the Tower Armoury, is remarkable, given the technology of the day. The fit and finish of this old gun, just like my own P53, P61 and Sniders, is the equal of any modern replication carried out with the aid of computer-driven machinery.

It might be a plan to slug the bore to get a good-fitting Minié bullet - none of mine are actually .577" - the nearest is my 1861 Musketoon, which is .579". You'll need to look for around a thou or two smaller than the actual bore size, toe ensure a good 'thumbing-in' at the muzzle. The kaboom makes it fit on the way out. Better yet, get into a group who already shoot this kind of arm - pity you don't live in AB!

Check out the buttstock for a DC in a diamond stamp, showing that it was actually issued in Canada.

tac
 
So as I am fairly green to black powder, what are the things I am looking at that identifies this rifle as what it is?

DC in a diamond eh? I will look for that after I get off work
 
You said in your first post that you enjoyed 'dabbling with your Hawkins rifle' - assuming that you mean Hawken - this is a black powder rifle, so I assuemd that you were au fait with BP shooting. The Pattern 53 rifled musket was THE service arm of the Dominion of Canada military until it was replaced by the Snider, itself no more than a stopgap conversion at first, but which led to the production of rifles that were made as Sniders from the off.

There is a library of a million pages on the Enfield Pattern 53 musket/rifled musket and rifle.

Knowing where to start to point you is a tricky one, but wikipedia is not too far wrong. Take a look at our friend here - you learn a ton of stuff off him, for sure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UctCTf0fYPA

In addition to the P53 being the service arm of the British Empire for many years, it was also THE preferred infantry rifle for BOTH sides in the recent civil war they had down the lower 48, as those perfidious Brits sold them to both sides. It saw first combat use in the Crimean War, where its long range and hard hitting was a terble shock to the Ruskies, used to shooting at 100 yards, who were slaughtered at what they took to be cannon range by British and French infantry armed with the new-fangled Minié bullet and rifles out to 600 and 800 yards or more.

tac
 
Sorry I'm going to blame that on autocorrect lol. Yes I know the basics, and enjoy it, but this musket has history behind it as opposed to being a repro. The old fella I got it from didn't really have much info on it, and without having some starting points, I've seen Internet firearms research make some interestig conclusions. I appreciate the help.
 
Blegend said:
Sorry I'm going to blame that on autocorrect lol. Yes I know the basics, and enjoy it, but this musket has history behind it as opposed to being a repro. The old fella I got it from didn't really have much info on it, and without having some starting points, I've seen Internet firearms research make some interestig conclusions. I appreciate the help.
Click to expand...

Watch murpheysmuskets - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjzijmVEdMc - as he shoots a real Confederate P53, anf BTW, it's not a musket. Muskets are smooth-bored, your rifle is a rifle.

tac
 
I can't win at what I call it. Lol.
Either way it is a very cool gun. What does the VR refer to? Just a proof indicating non export or is there more significance to it?
 
Queen Victoria Reign's (loose translation from the latin) In her splendor (1837-1901)...
is
 
Very nice P53 you have there, one of the nicest I have seen!
I would give my right kidney for it-oh, hang on, my ex wife already has that.
 
They WERE exported, mainly to British military serving within the Empire. Not only did they go to Canada, but also to Australia and New Zealand [where they saw service in the Maori Wars], British India and Africa. And, of course, and famously, to both sides in the WoNA - 1861 -1865. Basically, wherever the British soldier of the time went, so did they.

They were eventually replaced, first by the Snider [many of which can be found in Canadian service like both of mine], and then by the Martini. Eventually, the Lee-Metford/Enfield turned up, and the rest is history...

tac
 
The hundreds of thousands made for both sides during the unpleasantness south of us came out of the remarkable Birmingham gun trade that existed in the 19th century. If one is encountered without the VR cipher, and lacking British military marks, it is in all likelihood one of these contract pieces.
 
she's in beautiful condition...i'm in the process of setting up to shoot a Parker Hale reproduction of her, but if she where mine, i'd be shooting her! Nice find!
 
See David Minshall's great article on the MLAGB site about shooting the P53. He is quite a knowledgeable chap, having won the MLAIC world championships, as well as ALL the Bisley shoots, AND represented GB more times than you can shake a stick at, shooting his original P53. His wife has also got top of the world class recognition, too.

tac
 
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