Newest Acquisition to the collection

[vmicraig]

I finally picked up a nice P1853 Enfield from Rock Island Auction last month. A very nice acquisition. I'm currently in the process of collecting a sample of each of the formally issued long arms carried by VMI cadets at VMI from its founding in 1839 until post ACW. Unfortunately, this particular Enfield does not appear to be a ACW import, but for my purposes, it's a good example of what the cadets carried, so I'm satisfied.

For info, the identified weapons carried by cadets include (chronologically) a M1836 Hall Carbine; a M1835 "Burnished Barrel Flintlock" (although it was more likely a Harpers Ferry M1816 dated 1835); a M1851 Cadet; a M1854 Lorenz; and the Enfield. Following the war and once the federals authorized weapons possession again, the M1873 Tradoor was obtained by Alumni for cadet use. That's where my VMI collection will end. So far, I've acquired 4 of the weapons named above for this particular strain of my habit. I'm still searching for a decent Lorenz. Thanks to Fausto Molinet for the research he did in identifying them correctly.

Here's a few pics of the Enfield. Nice roundel and markings. Overall, she's in pretty decent shape, especially considering I got a low end deal!

 

[JOHN42768]

Good start

 

[Larryh86GT]

Very nice.

 

[originalrebelyell]

Looks good more photos

 

[Ralph Heinz]

Your P.53 is indeed an import for the ACW and the Birmingham Small Arms Trade stamp on the buttstock is another good indicator as are the barrel, stock and lock plate markings. You'd do well to buy a copy of Suppliers to the Confederacy (the first vol) by Barry and Burt to learn a lot more about these imported Enfields.

If you meant to say that it wasn't a P.53 imported by the Confederacy you'd probably be correct as the stock markings just behind the trigger plate do not appear to be Sinclair Hamilton proofs but what you have gotten is a very nice example of a complete early war Enfield though yours may be one imported by the Union and issued to a Yankee soldier.

 

[Jobe Holiday]

Vmicraig - I do not see any actual Crown Ownership marks on your P-53, therefore I believe it is a legitimate potential candidate for import to either the North or South.
J.

 

[UCVRelics]

Very Nice CS Enfield, I say CS as the 25 stamp on the barrel tells me its a 0.577, the yankees mostly imported 24 which was 0.58. If you pull the lock plate the maker should be stamped there. It has the crown with NO VR which is a good thing as most of the imports for the CW did NOT have the VR stamp. Below is a list of the gun makers who made up the BSA. Look under the stock and see if there is a makers stamp as some did put the name there and then if all else fails paging @johan_steele

COOPER & GOODMAN (*)
PRYSE & REDMAN (*)
JOSEPH WILSON (*)
J. BOURNE (*)
E & G HACKETT
T TURNER (*)
W L SARGANT (*)
W SCOTT
BENTLEY & PLAYFAIR
JOSEPH SMITH
KING & PHILLIPS
R & W ASTON
SWINBURN (*)
J. BOURNE (*)

 

[johan_steele]

Actually I would say I don't see anything that would tell me it isn't an ACW import.

 

[Craig L Barry]

Thought the same thing, this looks like a classic example of exactly the sort of Birmingham produced P53 which saw considerable service for both sides during the US Civil War. The makers name behind the trigger guard is often in very faint letters, and by no means were all commercial P53s marked this way. There were dozens of firms putting these things together in 1862 for sale to whatever government it was legal to sell to and that could pay for them.

If you see VR under the crown on the lockplate (of a Birmingham P53) or War Dept proof marks and the broad arrow, etc, these are signs of a British government contract arm. None of that is seen here though. Good pick-up.

 

[captaindrew]

Nice piece!

 

[WJC]

I finally picked up a nice P1853 Enfield from Rock Island Auction last month. A very nice acquisition. I'm currently in the process of collecting a sample of each of the formally issued long arms carried by VMI cadets at VMI from its founding in 1839 until post ACW. Unfortunately, this particular Enfield does not appear to be a ACW import, but for my purposes, it's a good example of what the cadets carried, so I'm satisfied.

For info, the identified weapons carried by cadets include (chronologically) a M1836 Hall Carbine; a M1835 "Burnished Barrel Flintlock" (although it was more likely a Harpers Ferry M1816 dated 1835); a M1851 Cadet; a M1854 Lorenz; and the Enfield. Following the war and once the federals authorized weapons possession again, the M1873 Tradoor was obtained by Alumni for cadet use. That's where my VMI collection will end. So far, I've acquired 4 of the weapons named above for this particular strain of my habit. I'm still searching for a decent Lorenz. Thanks to Fausto Molinet for the research he did in identifying them correctly.

Here's a few pics of the Enfield. Nice roundel and markings. Overall, she's in pretty decent shape, especially considering I got a low end deal!

View attachment 183861 View attachment 183862 View attachment 183863 View attachment 183864 View attachment 183865

Looks better than "decent" to me! Nice piece! Thanks for sharing!

 

[vmicraig]

If you meant to say that it wasn't a P.53 imported by the Confederacy you'd probably be correct as the stock markings just behind the trigger plate do not appear to be Sinclair Hamilton proofs but what you have gotten is a very nice example of a complete early war Enfield though yours may be one imported by the Union and issued to a Yankee soldier.

All, I appreciate the comments. Ralph, thanks - I should've been specific and mentioned for the Confederacy as opposed to ACW, since VMI served the south. I was hoping it would be marked with confederate import stamps somewhere. (For my US models, I generally look for Harpers Ferry Models over Springfield model when it's for my "VMI" sample purposes).

To my pleasant surprise, however, the subsequent posts by our other forum mates seems to indicate southern history may still have been possible?! I'll take that! Regardless, I'm happy that it's a nice P53 with ACW service, north or south. I'll pull the lock and post pics of the inside.

 

[vmicraig]

Looks like the stock and lockplate are both marked Tipping and Lawden. According to the all knowing google box, here's info on T&L:

"The Birmingham based gunmaking firm of Tipping & Lawden was trade name partnership between Thomas Tipping Lawden and Caleb Lawden, who established themselves as gun, rifle and pistol makers at 40 Constitution Hill in 1837, expanding to 40 & 41 Constitution Hill in 1852. In 1860, the firm added a London location at 18 Buckingham Street. In addition to the usual production of military pattern muskets and rifles (both for military contracts and commercial sale), the company manufactured sporting arms for the general gun trade both in England and abroad. The firm also established itself as a major manufacturer of handguns in Great Britain by the end of the 1850s."

 

[redbob]

Well done, and I'll agree that Barry and Burt's volumes of the Suppliers to the Confederacy Series has enough information about the British arms trade (especially the Enfields) to make your head spin. There is also a section in Volume III about the Austrian arms trade including the Lorenz.

 

[Craig L Barry]

Tipping & Lawden was one of the so-called "original four" which were selected by the Ordnance department to provide the first P-53s during the Crimean War, along with Swinburn, Hollis & Sheath and T Turner. They were one of the larger Birmingham gun-makers, actually a multi-generational family outfit like many of them were. There is quite a bit on them in Suppliers to the Confederacy Vol I (p.66-70). Their reputation was that they were among those that "...employ the best hands and turn out the best work."

In a nutshell, founder Thomas Tipping's daughter (Mary Ann) married Caleb Lawden, in 1837 he was made a partner in the firm. Their son, Thomas Tipping-Lawden also went into the family business. So during the Civil War-era, Tipping & Lawden was operating as a father-son venture. There were also retail premises in London.

 

[mofederal]

That is a really nice Enfield. Congratulations on picking it up. t is a very nice start.

 

[Ralph Heinz]

I have an 1862 dated P.53 made by King and Phillips with a '25' marked barrel that belonged to one of Stannard's Brigade Vermont soldiers at Gettysburg and which was taken back to Vermont the month after the battle as they were nine month regiments. I wouldn't bank on all Federal issue Enfield's being marked '24.' This rifle is also marked with the BSAT circular marking on the butt stock and is in beautiful condition because it was only used for a short time and in combat for the last two days of Gettysburg at a critical time. Some of these Vermont soldiers were able to purchase their rifles as their enlistment was up and Federal forces were seeking to standardize in favor of Springfields which were inter-changeable with regard to parts. As it was, most of the Vermont soldiers in that brigade already had Springfields. I had an ancestor in the 13th VVI which makes this rifle all the more interesting for me.

 

[Ralph Heinz]

One other thing about '24' final proof marks on the barrels: Pritchard & Huey in their monumental book, The English Connection, document the fact so-called "Spanish Contract" P.53 Enfields with 40" barrels were apparently diverted to the Confederacy. These have '24' final proofs on the barrels. Some of these rare Birmingham-made rifles were among the earliest imported by the Confederacy and twelve are known bearing "JS" anchor viewer's marks and hand-engraved numbers on the butt plate tangs and those numbers are under 1,000. Some of these 40" barreled P.53 Enfields also bear "S.C" stamped into the butt stocks indicating they were imported by South Carolina. I might add that these are some of the most expensive Confederate Enfields and are highly prized by collectors. (I only wish I owned one.)

 

[vmicraig]

Good start

Thanks, but with only 2 left on the list, I'm getting close to finishing my VMI collection. Regardless, I'll certainly be picking up a copy of Suppliers to the Confederacy though before I put any money down on a Lorenz. Unfortunately, I still have to find a '36 Hall Carbine I can actually afford. At roughly $2-3K average at reputable auctions for decent ones, that's going to be a tough one to sneak past the wife!

 

[vmicraig]

I might add that these are some of the most expensive Confederate Enfields and are highly prized by collectors. (I only wish I owned one.)

You and me both, Ralph! Thanks for the info.