Requesting Info on this P53 Enfield

[milsurpshooter]

Please help add to or confirm/correct what my limited research has been able to come up with.
So far....
- 1863 Tower Enfield imported by the Birmingham Small Arms Trade
- T. Turner manufactured the firearm
- M. Crosbee was the stock maker
- Henry Clive was the barrel maker
- Unsure of who Siddons & Sons is/are
- Unsure of the species of wood
Thanks in advance,
- milsurpshooter

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome. Very nice. Take a look at this site if you haven't already http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/articles/walden/enfauth.htm I'm sure you will hear from others.

 

[John Winn]

Calling @Craig L Barry

Can you help this guy ?

 

[Craig L Barry]

He is basically right, Thomas Turner was the gun-maker. Henry Clive was the barrel maker. Siddons was the lock maker and they were known for making high quality locks which were often encountered in the Enfields produced by Thomas Turner of Birmingham Small Arms Trade. Siddons started out as a lock maker in 1817 and the firm began doing business as Siddons & Sons in 1855, with the company finally going out of business in 1866. T. Turner also made high end target rifles. They were best known for utilizing the so-called Siddons patent lock. William Siddons received patent #1786 on August 8, 1854 for a "friction reducing lock mechanism." During the Civil War era, Siddons & Sons were located at 16 St. Mary's Row & Whittall Street in the Birmingham Gun Quarter. The Enfield is marked as is common for one made in 1863, with the BSAT roundel, gun maker name behind the trigger guard, etc.

The stock is most likely to be European walnut, specifically from Italy. The majority of gun stocks used by BSAT came from W Scott & Son who owned a sawmill operation in Turin, Italy. Chairman of BSAT (John Dent Goodman) states that for some reason this was a well kept secret at the time, but it was pretty easily discovered doing research for the book. This is all covered in detail in Suppliers to the Confederacy: English Arms & Accoutrements.

I am not familiar with the gun stock finisher, M Crosbee, if that is the stock finisher. I have not run across the name before. In fairness there were hundreds of independent contractors doing stock finishing work and he may or may not have had his own firm. In fact, he may have only cut the mortise for the trigger guard assembly. It's hard to say. I can't help out there.

 

[milsurpshooter]

Wow, thanks for the info! Scott & Son was mentioned as a stock maker for BSAT. So, has anyone heard of M. Crosbee and was he the stock maker for this particular rifle? And what is the significance of the "MC" stamped inside the lock plate and under the barrel? Looks like I'll need to add a few more volumes to my reference library.
Thanks again.