Confederate Enfield

[Jeff in Ohio]

As you think, this is a classic CS marked early War Model 1853 rifle musket. The S stamped in the wood on the comb in front of the buttplate tang shows the importer, Scott.
You may find more markings in the wood on the belly of the butt stock, such as the JS/Anchor marking or the name of the maker who completed the gun (Scott had the contract to supply a certain number of guns, and the "S" shows Scott supplied it but not that Scott made it).
I doubt there is any original blue on this gun. You can see the scratching marks where someone has vigorously scoured or wire brushed the length of the barrel, leaving lengthwise scratching in the metal the full length, and the barrel still has deep pitting at the breech area. Whoever did this stopped before taking abrasives to the lock and hammer, and that back of that barrel was just as pitted and rough as the untouched hammer still is. It is possible to have great blue on one end of a barrel and the other end pitted with rust, but I don't think this gun is an example of this. If there is blue color to that barrel, I suspect it is newer bluing of some sort.
If this was mine, I would rust that barrel back to brown, stop the active rust, and I think it would look best as a completely brown gun with some even rust texture to the barrel.

 

[Lanyard Puller]

@Stars in Their Courses;

You are correct in that you do in fact have a Confederate imported Pattern 1853, type 3 rifle musket. It was made in Birmingham {the 5 barrel proofs} by W. & C. Scott {"S"} in front of the butt plate numbers. Scott was a major Birmingham supplier to the Confederacy.
The "A" indicates the inventory number is 14,805

Now a bit of advice on your plan to use WD40 and steel wool.. DON'T .
WD-40 is hygroscopic and will attract moisture to the firearm which will result in rust.
Steel wool will scratch and remove any original finish still there.
Don't polish the brass.

Although the gun was well used and poorly cared for it still has value. Parts may be mixed and missing, as the rear sight has been replaced with a longer range rifle sight, no ram rod, etc. Leave it alone until you get the proper "tools" before doing anything to it. As an example, the butt plate would be worth at least $350. {Unpolished, scratched, etc}

Most of the CS collectors I know use the same 'stuff' on projects like this one;

Wood: Kramers' Best: for lightly cleaning and restoring the wood {It's already been sanded and doesn't need any deeper cleaning}
Metal: Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner Pads:.. It looks and acts like a steel wool ball but will NOT scratch the metal
Oil: Balistol: . Smells terrible but will not run or change color, and will clean a little as well

Taking it apart will result in finding more stamps and Roman numerals, being from assembly workers, inspection approvals, and the makers of that part. None of these are really important, so proceed very slowly [the screw heads on barrel bands of there guns goes on the left side of the stock. You'll notice they fit better when turned around.

If you're looking for the best reference book, the latest and most complete would be The English Connection, discounted at College Hill Arsenal. You will find full references to the 30,000 first shipped P-53s, etc.

Hope this helps... {BTW; there are no inventory numbers close to this one (+-100}, entered on 3 major lists being kept at this time.}

 

[JOHN42768]

A nice piece of History. Some TLC will probably be in order as noted by Lanyard Puller above

 

[Bonedaddy]

Great looking old gun! I enjoyed seeing it and reading all of the information that different individuals posted. Congratulations.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

As you think, this is a classic CS marked early War Model 1853 rifle musket. The S stamped in the wood on the comb in front of the buttplate tang shows the importer, Scott.
You may find more markings in the wood on the belly of the butt stock, such as the JS/Anchor marking or the name of the maker who completed the gun (Scott had the contract to supply a certain number of guns, and the "S" shows Scott supplied it but not that Scott made it).
I doubt there is any original blue on this gun. You can see the scratching marks where someone has vigorously scoured or wire brushed the length of the barrel, leaving lengthwise scratching in the metal the full length, and the barrel still has deep pitting at the breech area. Whoever did this stopped before taking abrasives to the lock and hammer, and that back of that barrel was just as pitted and rough as the untouched hammer still is. It is possible to have great blue on one end of a barrel and the other end pitted with rust, but I don't think this gun is an example of this. If there is blue color to that barrel, I suspect it is newer bluing of some sort.
If this was mine, I would rust that barrel back to brown, stop the active rust, and I think it would look best as a completely brown gun with some even rust texture to the barrel.

Jeff thank you for your assessment on the condition of my Enfield.
How do I at least stop the active rust?

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

Will check the stock again for a maker's mark.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

@Stars in Their Courses;

You are correct in that you do in fact have a Confederate imported Pattern 1853, type 3 rifle musket. It was made in Birmingham {the 5 barrel proofs} by W. & C. Scott {"S"} in front of the butt plate numbers. Scott was a major Birmingham supplier to the Confederacy.
The "A" indicates the inventory number is 14,805

Now a bit of advice on your plan to use WD40 and steel wool.. DON'T .
WD-40 is hygroscopic and will attract moisture to the firearm which will result in rust.
Steel wool will scratch and remove any original finish still there.
Don't polish the brass.

Although the gun was well used and poorly cared for it still has value. Parts may be mixed and missing, as the rear sight has been replaced with a longer range rifle sight, no ram rod, etc. Leave it alone until you get the proper "tools" before doing anything to it. As an example, the butt plate would be worth at least $350. {Unpolished, scratched, etc}

Most of the CS collectors I know use the same 'stuff' on projects like this one;

Wood: Kramers' Best: for lightly cleaning and restoring the wood {It's already been sanded and doesn't need any deeper cleaning}
Metal: Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner Pads:.. It looks and acts like a steel wool ball but will NOT scratch the metal
Oil: Balistol: . Smells terrible but will not run or change color, and will clean a little as well

Taking it apart will result in finding more stamps and Roman numerals, being from assembly workers, inspection approvals, and the makers of that part. None of these are really important, so proceed very slowly [the screw heads on barrel bands of there guns goes on the left side of the stock. You'll notice they fit better when turned around.

If you're looking for the best reference book, the latest and most complete would be The English Connection, discounted at College Hill Arsenal. You will find full references to the 30,000 first shipped P-53s, etc.

Hope this helps... {BTW; there are no inventory numbers close to this one (+-100}, entered on 3 major lists being kept at this time.}

LP thank for all of great info. I will try and source those products. I think my biggest concern right now is how to stop the active rust so any advise would be greatly appreciated. I ordered The English Connection book yesterday and I will also pick up up Craig Barry's book as well. Any idea where I can pick up as original ramrod for this?

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

Great looking old gun! I enjoyed seeing it and reading all of the information that different individuals posted. Congratulations.

Thank you!

 

[JOHN42768]

LP thank for all of great info. I will try and source those products. I think my biggest concern right now is how to stop the active rust so any advise would be greatly appreciated. I ordered The English Connection book yesterday and I will also pick up up Craig Barry's book as well. Any idea where I can pick up as original ramrod for this?

College Hill has : Kramers Best and Ballistol

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

College Hill has : Kramers Best and Ballistol

Thank you Sir!

 

[Craig L Barry]

Often (not always) the maker will stamp the name of the firm in thin letters behind the trigger guard on the stock. There is quite a bit in the Suppliers to the Confederacy books on the Scott firm and their exports to the Confederacy.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

Often (not always) the maker will stamp the name of the firm in thin letters behind the trigger guard on the stock. There is quite a bit in the Suppliers to the Confederacy books on the Scott firm and their exports to the Confederacy.

I will check. Thanks. Any tips on stopping the active rust. I look forward to reading your book when it arrrives!

 

[Lanyard Puller]

As for the ram rod question. It was numbered {engraved not stamped} to match the number on the butt plate. Bayonets were also numbered.

Enfield P53 rods are not hard to find, BUT !!
These guns were hand finished to fit, not machine made and therefore the parts are not interchangeable. My best example is a P56 carbine without a hammer.... so far I've tried 9 hammers...none of which are even close.

You would have to have the gun with you and try the rod, or else you will become a Confederate ram rod collector ! finding the rod that matches is highly unlikely. The same holds true for bayonets... hand finished to fit.
here's what they looked like {2 Georgia P53's}

Georgia and a few other states marked their shipping crates, bayonets and guns, as the CS government sometimes would take what they wanted at dock side.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

You've gotten a good many responses to your questions, but you did as how to stop active rust, and you did not get an answer to that.
If that is all you want to do, you can put on some good gun oil and give it scrub with a soft toothbrush, and that's all you need to, unless you are storing it in some humid place.
A good oil for cleaning and for protecting is Clenzoil, which supplies a standard somewhat thin oil that does penetrate and loosen some stuck metal, and also sells a thicker oil for longer term protection.
In any event, get a soft brush, and scrub into the metal any oil you want (not WD-30) on the surface.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

As for the ram rod question. It was numbered {engraved not stamped} to match the number on the butt plate. Bayonets were also numbered.

Enfield P53 rods are not hard to find, BUT !!
These guns were hand finished to fit, not machine made and therefore the parts are not interchangeable. My best example is a P56 carbine without a hammer.... so far I've tried 9 hammers...none of which are even close.

You would have to have the gun with you and try the rod, or else you will become a Confederate ram rod collector ! finding the rod that matches is highly unlikely. The same holds true for bayonets... hand finished to fit.
here's what they looked like {2 Georgia P53's}
View attachment 385898
Georgia and a few other states marked their shipping crates, bayonets and guns, as the CS government sometimes would take what they wanted at dock side.
View attachment 385899

Show off, with all those G stamps, but I say this only because I have some envy!!!!

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

As for the ram rod question. It was numbered {engraved not stamped} to match the number on the butt plate. Bayonets were also numbered.

Enfield P53 rods are not hard to find, BUT !!
These guns were hand finished to fit, not machine made and therefore the parts are not interchangeable. My best example is a P56 carbine without a hammer.... so far I've tried 9 hammers...none of which are even close.

You would have to have the gun with you and try the rod, or else you will become a Confederate ram rod collector ! finding the rod that matches is highly unlikely. The same holds true for bayonets... hand finished to fit.
here's what they looked like {2 Georgia P53's}
View attachment 385898
Georgia and a few other states marked their shipping crates, bayonets and guns, as the CS government sometimes would take what they wanted at dock side.
View attachment 385899

Thanks for that info!

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

You've gotten a good many responses to your questions, but you did as how to stop active rust, and you did not get an answer to that.
If that is all you want to do, you can put on some good gun oil and give it scrub with a soft toothbrush, and that's all you need to, unless you are storing it in some humid place.
A good oil for cleaning and for protecting is Clenzoil, which supplies a standard somewhat thin oil that does penetrate and loosen some stuck metal, and also sells a thicker oil for longer term protection.
In any event, get a soft brush, and scrub into the metal any oil you want (not WD-30) on the surface.

Perfect! Thanks for that. I have some gun oil for sure! Would CLP work?

 

[redbob]

Show off, with all those G stamps, but I say this only because I have some envy!!!!

Trust me, I have it on good authority that if Lanyard Puller doesn't know it about Enfields, it doesn't need to be known. And I can tell you from experience that even finding something as simple for an Enfield as a bayonet, quickly becomes problematic; also, I'm the one with envy for your great find-well done Sir.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

As you think, this is a classic CS marked early War Model 1853 rifle musket. The S stamped in the wood on the comb in front of the buttplate tang shows the importer, Scott.
You may find more markings in the wood on the belly of the butt stock, such as the JS/Anchor marking or the name of the maker who completed the gun (Scott had the contract to supply a certain number of guns, and the "S" shows Scott supplied it but not that Scott made it).
I doubt there is any original blue on this gun. You can see the scratching marks where someone has vigorously scoured or wire brushed the length of the barrel, leaving lengthwise scratching in the metal the full length, and the barrel still has deep pitting at the breech area. Whoever did this stopped before taking abrasives to the lock and hammer, and that back of that barrel was just as pitted and rough as the untouched hammer still is. It is possible to have great blue on one end of a barrel and the other end pitted with rust, but I don't think this gun is an example of this. If there is blue color to that barrel, I suspect it is newer bluing of some sort.
If this was mine, I would rust that barrel back to brown, stop the active rust, and I think it would look best as a completely brown gun with some even rust texture to the barrel.

Jeff,
I found the J S / Anchor viewer's mark. I don't how I missed it.

 

[Lanyard Puller]

BINGO !!! The "JS/anchor" is still well struck and correct. The value of your P53 was just increased by that single mark in the stock.
{See how easy it would have been to sand [clean} it off !}