Being Legally Period Correct

[18thmississippi]

hey guys i know most of you like myself who are reenactors love improving on our impressions. It gets us excited for our next event to show off what we have done. What better way to do this then to defarb your musket (enfields to be exact). No matter who you buy from all repro enfields our incorrect to the time, unless already defarbed. All repos are repos of the 4th model enfield which there are some out there but they are extremely rare. ive only seen one in museums and that was the museum in gettysburg. even the highly appraised parker hales are inaccurate. Parker hales were made with original dies and specs from the RSAF (royal small arms factory) but they were the ones to the 4th model enfield which majority of them were held to be converted into the snider enfields (trapdoor conversions). so most of the enfields that were actauly used during the war were the 2nd and 3rd model enfields. you can easily convert your 4th model into a 2nd or 3rd model with a little handy work. Start by changing your lock plate (search up original 2nd or 3rd model enfield lockplates) with a little elbow grease and sand paper take off the london armory and co markings, leave the crown, and replace it with a company of your choosing, period correct companies (research is involved), then change the lockplate washers, barrel bands and then last the markings on the stock. All the changes you make need to match up with the model and company you choose to replicate( don't use tower markings with london armory markings). after all that re-finish the metal using bluing or case hardening(use a gunsmith let the professionals do the job of the finish) yes i said bluing the original finish for the majority of enfield barrels was bluing. after you have done all that you got a half way complete defarbed musket. i didn't mention removing the markers name or serial number since its illegal to do so in some states. trust me its a project you will be proud of and one you wont reget plus it makes your impression much better knowing your rifle is correct and well as knowing the history of why you did it. if anyone wants to know i know of several great resources for information on period correct rifles.

 

[johan_steele]

Post your sources. I'm sure some will enjoy them.

 

[18thmississippi]

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/articles/walden/enfauth.htm

 

[44 Henry]

If you live in Illinois you may want to think twice before making any changes. You even have to go through an FFL dealer just to buy one of those small cannon kits from Traditions that uses a fuse ignition. Changing any marking on the gun could be a violation. The bottom line when you are done you still have a repro.

 

[Craig L Barry]

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/articles/walden/enfauth.htm

This article has good baseline research on the Enfield. Walden also has a very good monograph on barrel bluing called "To Blue or Not to Blue."

 

[Package4]

hey guys i know most of you like myself who are reenactors love improving on our impressions. It gets us excited for our next event to show off what we have done. What better way to do this then to defarb your musket (enfields to be exact). No matter who you buy from all repro enfields our incorrect to the time, unless already defarbed. All repos are repos of the 4th model enfield which there are some out there but they are extremely rare. ive only seen one in museums and that was the museum in gettysburg. even the highly appraised parker hales are inaccurate. Parker hales were made with original dies and specs from the RSAF (royal small arms factory) but they were the ones to the 4th model enfield which majority of them were held to be converted into the snider enfields (trapdoor conversions). so most of the enfields that were actauly used during the war were the 2nd and 3rd model enfields. you can easily convert your 4th model into a 2nd or 3rd model with a little handy work. Start by changing your lock plate (search up original 2nd or 3rd model enfield lockplates) with a little elbow grease and sand paper take off the london armory and co markings, leave the crown, and replace it with a company of your choosing, period correct companies (research is involved), then change the lockplate washers, barrel bands and then last the markings on the stock. All the changes you make need to match up with the model and company you choose to replicate( don't use tower markings with london armory markings). after all that re-finish the metal using bluing or case hardening(use a gunsmith let the professionals do the job of the finish) yes i said bluing the original finish for the majority of enfield barrels was bluing. after you have done all that you got a half way complete defarbed musket. i didn't mention removing the markers name or serial number since its illegal to do so in some states. trust me its a project you will be proud of and one you wont reget plus it makes your impression much better knowing your rifle is correct and well as knowing the history of why you did it. if anyone wants to know i know of several great resources for information on period correct rifles.

By the time you do the work or have it done, you could have purchased an original British Enfield with broad arrow marks and just modified those markings and added the gauge marks to the barrel. Repop stocks also need to have comb wood removed to be accurate. You would have an original with proper hammer, weight, wood and markings, for less than the $1,500 spent on the repop and defarbing.

 

[Cpl. Smith]

By the time you do the work or have it done, you could have purchased an original British Enfield with broad arrow marks and just modified those markings and added the gauge marks to the barrel. Repop stocks also need to have comb wood removed to be accurate. You would have an original with proper hammer, weight, wood and markings, for less than the $1,500 spent on the repop and defarbing.

Some units won't allow original rifles due to age and historical value.

 

[Package4]

Some units won't allow original rifles due to age and historical value.

Broad arrow marked Enfields have little historical value here and units that will not let you use an original that has been proofed are well *****

 

[Cpl. Smith]

Broad arrow marked Enfields have little historical value here and units that will not let you use an original that has been proofed are well *****

I know I wouldn't want to use an original so I don't screw it up!