ArmiSport '53 Enfield

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Sharps '63

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A newly acquired ArmiSport '53 Enfield (beautiful rifle!) is giving me fits ....

It puts three .562" patched RB into 1 3/4" group at 50 yds, but spits Minies all over the map! One even key holed!

My Minie moulds are shallow cavity, as I had the base plugs modified. My P-H two bander loves them. It also shoots patched RB very well.

I checked the rate of twist in a P-H '53 and it surprised me at 1x56". The ArmiSport surprised me even more at 1x48", same as for my P-H '58 two bander.

I'm thinking that for the ArmiSport, I need to use a Minie with a larger cavity and less forward mass.

Anyone have some experience with the problem?

PS: I tried a homebrew lube that consisted of 1/2 bees wax, 1/2 SPG and enough olive oil and Murphy's Oil Soap to make it a soft paste. Worked like a hot damn! Still had to swab the bore after several rounds.
 
How much powder are you using with the minies?
Not enough and the bullet doesn't expand to grab the rifling, too much and you blow out the skirt when it exits the muzzle. Both will give keyholing.
I would start with ~40 grains of 2F and work up.
What alloy of lead are you using as well? If the alloy is too hard, the bullet will not bump up to fill the rifling.
 
While I don't have a P53 muzzle loader I do shoot, and have for some time, the Snider Enfield conversion of this rifle. My Sniders will all shoot the round ball, a .590" ball in this case, very well. I had the same problem with the Lyman conical mould no matter the size of the hollow base. These moulds are .577" being fired in a bore that is much larger than that. They were made this size for ease of loading in military conditions in a fouled bore and not for accuracy. The base was "supposed" to expand to engage the rifling....well, good luck! I finally bought a solid base .590" conical to fire in the Snider and it is very accurate. Somehow you will have to load a bore sized conical or patch the undersized .577" conical. Getting these originals to shoot is a slippery slope. Good luck, Dave
 
'53 Enfield

Gentlemen

I'm familiar with the vagaries of shooting a Snider, (essentially a converted Enfield), but we are talking MLs here.

My first Enfield repro was a P-H Musketoon and I had great success and accuracy with the Lyman .575 OS Minie. I lmay try it with the ArmiSport.
I lubed with a product called "Spit Ball" (is it still available?), filling the cavity before loading. Fouling was simply not a problem.

I shot 60 grs FFg with my modified Minies in the ArmiSport. The skirt is just 1/8" deep. The great accuracy I got with RB was using 55 grs FFg.
The Minies were cast with pure lead, the RB with the same alloy I use for my BPCR bullets. Accuracy with them in my P-H two bander is excellent.

My patch material is cotton diaper cloth and it would be difficult to seat any RB larger than .562. I've tried the Hornady swadged .570 and even with thin patching, it is a hammer down fit. Deformed RB don't fly well.

The Brits had success with Enfields using paper wrapped, smooth-sided .55 Pritchett Minies lubed with beeswax. Accuracy was reputed to be good. Beats me how they got off any number of rounds without the rifle becoming hopelessly fouled.
 
I didn't mean to bore you with the Snider info.....I did try all sorts of loads with the Lyman 575213 mould with absolutely rotten results so I retired the mould. You could try a post at the British Militaria Forum or search their loading database for info. I can't see how a paper patched bullet could be forced down an Enfield barrel after the first shot either. Possibly you will have to stick to round balls! Dave
 
RB vs Minie

Dave

'T'wouldn't bother me if it turned out to be just a RB rifle, but 't'would be nice if it could also group Minies.

It's an easy fix to try a few more designs. Either a new mould or just replacement base plugs for the ones I modified
 
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