1855 Tower

[Kharn]

My grandpa found this Muzzleloader at a garage sale, logically he bought it but asked me if there was anything I could find out about it after he got it.
Does anybody have one of these rifles? Thoughts & opinions greatly appreciated!

 

[Sarg]

Cool old ML he has there, been used in modern times & someone up graded the sights with a Parker Hale foresight Id say, probably the guy who had it in a vise, the bane of all gunsmiths ?

 

[Kharn]

Cool old ML he has there, been used in modern times & someone up graded the sights with a Parker Hale foresight Id say, probably the guy who had it in a vise, the bane of all gunsmiths ?

Vise Jaw Marks?

 

[Sarg]

Yes Sir, I’d say so, easy to put in hard to fix !

 

[Kharn]

Yes Sir, I’d say so, easy to put in hard to fix !

Why would it be hard to fix?

 

[Sarg]

Oh just the time & work, most times you need to refinish the firearm & it only took the Dick that damaged it a few seconds !

Some Wood, Leather, Lead, Plastic sheet over the jaws or over the item would save it & retain the original finish !

 

[Kharn]

Oh just the time & work, most times you need to refinish the firearm & it only took the Dick that damaged it a few seconds !

Some Wood, Leather, Lead, Plastic sheet over the jaws or over the item would save it & retain the original finish !

Oh I was just curious about your answer, I'm a machinist by trade.

But you're right, I mean today I was running one of the machines and went to do a quick and dirty set of my OD threading tool and I came in to fast on the hand wheel and the tip of the carbide insert smashed off leaving a tiny dent in the OD of the face of the part, luckily the location was a none critical open dimension so I just dropped the OD finisher to take off more material on that tiny dent area making it look good as new but YES!!!.... It all took time that wasn't necessary!

 

[Sarg]

Haha yes know the feeling !

 

[BeeMaa]

Are there any other markings on the rifle? Maybe on the barrel? Possibly under the stock?

 

[Major Bonkers]

I think that you will find that that is a Victorian-era Brown Bess musket.

I am by no means an expert, but if you get really stuck take lots of photographs and e-mail them off to Holts - they are very knowledgable.

 

[fourfive8]

More pics would help but the lock plate and percussion parts look correct for a British P1853 Enfield Tower rifle musket made in 1855. It should have a .577 cal rifled barrel. The front part of the stock doesn’t look correct to that model though.

Forward end of P1853 should look like this

 

[fourfive8]

The barrel length, from the snail to the muzzle, for a three band P1853 should be about 38”. Your rifle almost looks like it has a shortened barrel with newer sight added. That would account for the odd configuration of the front part of the stock including the ramrod entry pipe which appears to be from an older model.

 

[fourfive8]

As an aside to this thread and because it was pointed out earlier, a word about the vice jaw marks may be in order. A few reasons possible for those marks. Guns brought back into armory and refurbed for reissue. After service use and in civilian market, taken down to clean, inspect and replace damaged barrel for resale. Amateur DIY gunsmith disassembly for whatever reason.

When inspecting old, original muzzleloaders I always drop a light down the bore to better see condition of the bore. I always inspect internals and function of the lock. I always look for vice jaw marks on the bolster (breech plug) and usually the flats on breech end of barrel. Those marks indicate disassembly or attempted disassembly. It isn’t automatically a deal killer if I’m looking to acquire but it is one of the red flags.

 

[fourfive8]

Here is the breech area of an original 1856 P1853 Tower rifle-musket. Note no vice jaw marks on bolster/breech plug or barrel.