1853 Enfield Rifle

This is one picture of me in my Union uniform with my 1853 Enfield Rifle. Am at a Civil War History Event that our Civil War Group was doing at Ft. Lewis.
 

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Yes, important! Never ever load and fire an Indian/Paki made musket. There have been too many instances of the barrels exploding. Too much of a safety concern.
As with most things, such reports are often exaggerated. I remember in '92 when a Pedersoli Enfield blew a breach at Red River (I was there and saw the aftermath.) Thankfully no one was hurt, but within a month, that one incident became dozens as it was told and re-told.

Personally, I'm skeptical of the Paki arms myself, but a well respected gunsmith friend of mine in the Phoenix, AZ tells me that there are at least a couple manufacturers there that make quality stuff... problem is knowing what you're gonna get when you order. I've been contemplating getting a Paki made '16 model, having it rebarreled as a conversion, and using it for an early-war impression. Just haven't pulled the lanyard on this idea.

As for the Paki Enfields... many of them LOOK really close to the originals, but that smoothbore barrel bothers me. I've thought about getting one and rebarreling it also, but the cost of one would then be more than finding a good used repro.
 
As with most things, such reports are often exaggerated. I remember in '92 when a Pedersoli Enfield blew a breach at Red River (I was there and saw the aftermath.) Thankfully no one was hurt, but within a month, that one incident became dozens as it was told and re-told.

Personally, I'm skeptical of the Paki arms myself, but a well respected gunsmith friend of mine in the Phoenix, AZ tells me that there are at least a couple manufacturers there that make quality stuff... problem is knowing what you're gonna get when you order. I've been contemplating getting a Paki made '16 model, having it rebarreled as a conversion, and using it for an early-war impression. Just haven't pulled the lanyard on this idea.

As for the Paki Enfields... many of them LOOK really close to the originals, but that smoothbore barrel bothers me. I've thought about getting one and rebarreling it also, but the cost of one would then be more than finding a good used repro.

Are you sure it was a Pedersoli? They introduced their first Enfield reproduction around 2012.
 
Yes, important! Never ever load and fire an Indian/Paki made musket. There have been too many instances of the barrels exploding. Too much of a safety concern.
There is a world of difference between a Pakistani 'Khyber' gun and an Indian factory made one. There is no effective control over how the Pakistani ones are made. The Indian ones are only made without a touch hole as exporting them from India with a touch hole would make them actual fire arms in Indian law and the export of working firearms is banned. In Europe they are required to be put through government proof houses before sale. They routinely pass such proof e.g UK, Germany, France. In the USA you have no independent proof testing. They are made to be used as muzzle loading smooth bore fire arms. BTW they can be sold as muzzle loading smooth bores in India and then they are required to be put through the Indian government proof house which IIRC uses the same criteria for them as the London and Birmingham proof houses in the UK.

I notice a photograph of a failed proof example has been shown. The same proof house could provide photographs of failed American guns also. I have seen a photograph of an expensive custom made USA made rifle that failed it's first proof test in Germany. That is the whole point of proof testing. It weeds out those with errors.

The Indian made reproductions are made with a poorer finish and fidelity. The lock work may need tweaking but the base line is that they are safe; other than that any gun will fail catastrophically if abused. You get the finish that you pay for. I cannot answer for USA legal protection but government CIP approved proof houses ensure the base level is at least a safe arm in their own countries.

BTW someone mentioned importers giving them a 200% mark up. They wish! Simply email the makers and ask the price for one sent to your door and you will see little difference to the importer's retail prices. Their profit comes from a reasonable mark up on the price of them bought in large batches in one shipment i.e. wholesale.

I might mention that I have no link to any importer or maker. I do not recommend that one buy an Indian made gun, nor a USA or Italian made one. It is for the purchaser to make an informed choice dependent upon their tastes and pocket; but safety is the common factor. In Europe all have to reach the same safety standards whether made in London, Springfield, Brescia or Jaipur. $60,000 best London double or $600 Jaipur Charleville musket.
 
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