Help with P53 Info?

[milsurpshooter]

I'm looking for some info on a few peculiarities about a BSAT P53 Enfield.
1. The ramrod looks similar to other P53's but doesn't have a slot for a patch. The shaft has a fairly constant diameter until the last third (closets to the threaded end) and then narrows slightly. Any insight on it's possible origins or originality?
2. Each of the three bands has a "B&H" stamp. Is this a BSAT manufacturer's mark? If so, who?
3. The top of the stock, just forward of the butt plate tang, is stamped "MC". Any ideas what this represented?
Thanks in advance,
- milsurpshooter

 

[JOHN42768]

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/articles/walden/enfauth.htm Have you looked at this site? Not everything want to know, but still helpful. Welcome,enjoy

 

[johan_steele]

I believe the Ramrod is for the Type 1 & 2 P53.

 

[JOHN42768]

I found an answer for your 3rd question. "The English Connection" by Russ Pritchard jr. & C. A. Huey. It is actually WC in script with the top right of the W wrapping around the C on p.116. William Chambers listed as non-war dept. viewer (inspector).

 

[Jobe Holiday]

IMHO, the ram rod is a reproduction which hasn't been cut for the slot. The slot was a requirement for use as a tool slot for the P-53 series of arms.
J.

 

[Craig L Barry]

According to the Chairman of BSAT John Dent Goodman, there were more than 1,400 barrel band makers (as well as "odd work", furniture, ramrods and so on) supplying the Birmingham gun trade during the US Civil War-era. Some small parts had maker's marks on there, most did not. This is to be expected, meaning you are not going to be able to find details on every part with a maker's mark on a particular commercial contractor made P53. Many of the details of these individual craftsmen are lost to time. The reason behind marking any of the parts or assemblies with initials like this was in the event of a defect, there would some recourse for the gun maker against the parts maker. When you see numbers (vs initials) as you often see on the small parts of Austrian made arms it is an attempt to match the individual parts to a particular arm. They were mostly hand-made (non interchangeable) so this was probably necessary or at least, desirable.

Agree with with Jobe Holiday that the ramrod is a reproduction or at least not an original part. The slot in the head was a feature of all Enfield pattern rammers and as stated, was not a cleaning jag but intended for inserting the accompanying tool for leverage in pulling a stuck ball from the barrel.

Viewers or inspectors marks were usually in the wood gun stock as seen here.