Tell me more! 1853 Enfield markings?

The markings show it highly likely this was a British manufactured rifle, sold to the Confederate States Army.

Congratulations and good find - hold on to it.
Hmmmmmm... I’m very curious (not trying to create an argument) how do you gather that ? I could give it another look.
 
Hmmmmmm... I’m very curious (not trying to create an argument) how do you gather that ? I could give it another look.
If it doesn’t have the markings that Tim mentioned there is no way to know it is a Confederate Enfield unless it was handed down from generation to generation At least you know it made it here in time to be in the war. It really is a beautiful Enfield.
 
If it doesn’t have the markings that Tim mentioned there is no way to know it is a Confederate Enfield unless it was handed down from generation to generation At least you know it made it here in time to be in the war. It really is a beautiful Enfield.
Pretty much what I have gathered through research and asking questions.
 
The Tower of London was at one time the British national armoury, and not only were many thousands of firearms stored there, they were assembled there from the many individual parts made by literally hundreds of small-scale contractors in London and Birmingham. There were many London and Birmingham barrel makers, for instance, and each of them would have usually put his name to his product. Others simply used code letters. A catastrophic and horrendously damaging fire of holdings in 1841 was the spur to outsourcing a full-time factory, but that had to await the inventive mind and organisational prowess of the American Mr Eli Whitney and his new-fangled method he called 'mass-production - all that came later on.

When the piece was assembled into a breeched barrel, in either London or Birmingham, it was subjected to gun proof in either the London or Birmingham Proof houses, both of which are still in VERY busy full-time business today. The lock was usually assembled and stamped 'TOWER'. Pattern 53 guns with locks marked in this way can readily be identified as PRE-Enfield rifled muskets. Only after manufacture moved entirely to the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock in North London could it really be called an Enfield.

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Imagine yourself working for a large Birmingham gunmaker in his shop.. NOISE, polluted air, smoke, wood dust..... Your job from sun up to sun down {no electricity then} is taking a lock plate [unfinished} out of a bucket on your table, fitting it into an inspection form, and if it fits, whacking it with a "TOWER" stamping die. The guy on the next bench then whacks it with the year...{1862}.
If you get the TOWER a bit low the date guy will go high, and vice versa.. Here's the holding, test form for a Pattern 1853 Rifle Musket;
20211001_150333_resized (2).jpg


I used a completely assembled Barnett lock {too lazy to disassemble it} to complete the example.
20211001_150432_resized (2).jpg
 
Imagine yourself working for a large Birmingham gunmaker in his shop.. NOISE, polluted air, smoke, wood dust..... Your job from sun up to sun down {no electricity then} is taking a lock plate [unfinished} out of a bucket on your table, fitting it into an inspection form, and if it fits, whacking it with a "TOWER" stamping die. The guy on the next bench then whacks it with the year...{1862}.
If you get the TOWER a bit low the date guy will go high, and vice versa.. Here's the holding, test form for a Pattern 1853 Rifle Musket;
View attachment 416094

I used a completely assembled Barnett lock {too lazy to disassemble it} to complete the example.View attachment 416095
I am looking for the "drool" emoji on the "Like" button, but alas it's not there. Forum Moderators please add that option.
 
Imagine yourself working for a large Birmingham gunmaker in his shop.. NOISE, polluted air, smoke, wood dust..... Your job from sun up to sun down {no electricity then} is taking a lock plate [unfinished} out of a bucket on your table, fitting it into an inspection form, and if it fits, whacking it with a "TOWER" stamping die. The guy on the next bench then whacks it with the year...{1862}.
If you get the TOWER a bit low the date guy will go high, and vice versa.. Here's the holding, test form for a Pattern 1853 Rifle Musket;
View attachment 416094

I used a completely assembled Barnett lock {too lazy to disassemble it} to complete the example.View attachment 416095
Makes complete sense to me. Really appreciate it.
 
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