1863 Dated English Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket by Bentley & Playfair

American Civil War

.577 caliber. 39" barrel. SN: NSN. Blued and color casehardened finish, brass furniture. Single shot percussion ignition muzzleloading rifle musket. Lock marked in two lines forward of the hammer 1863/TOWER and with the British {CROWN} without a "VR" underneath at the tail. Left breech quadrant with Birmingham commercial view, proof and definitive proof marks and a pair of "25" gauge marks indicating .577 caliber. Toe of stock stamped BENTLEY & PLAYFAIR, the Birmingham maker of the gun, with a deep BSAT mark behind the triggerguard. A clear Birmingham Small Arms Trade (BSAT) cartouche is present in the obverse butt. Gun retains the correct original 900-yard military ladder rear sight, the combination musket front sight and socket bayonet lug, both sling swivels and a correct pattern jag head ramrod that is full length with threads at the end. A snap cap with an incorrect pattern chain is present as well. The Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket was the second most used long arm of the American Civil War on both sides, with hundreds of thousands of commercial guns like this one seeing combat during the war. The toe of the stock has been burned and shows some wood loss and charring. This would encourage some to think that this gun could have been at the Battle of the Wilderness where the woods caught fire during the during the battle.

This lot is located in Cincinnati.