1861 Tower

[Lucky R A]

    An old friend brought in an 1861 Tower military rifle as used in the civil war by both sides.  He acquired the gun at minimal price many years ago, however, it is missing the lower band where the ram rod enters and the trigger guard is broken.  The gun is iron mounted.  Is there a source for repro or original parts?   I have checked the Dixie catalog and fond a possible lower band but no trigger guards.

Thanks

Ron

[Bob Roller]

I have a friend that used to build fine replicas of Civil War rifles.
If anyone has a trigger guard for the Tower,he might.
His name is Tom Nixon and his land line is 1-304-522-4567.

Bob Roller

[Curt Larsen]

Check out the Atlanta Cutlery website.  They have been selling various parts for these types of rifles salvaged from places like Nepal where they were issued by the British in the 19th century.  They've been selling complete ones as well with all the crud on them from long storage.

[TPH]

There is no easy source of reproduction parts for iron mounted Enfields.

This is a rifle with a 33" barrel, correct? These were non-interchangeable guns and original parts are hard, if not impossible to find. The best source will be The Rifle Shoppe but parts will very likely have to be hand fitted. See:

http://www.therifleshoppe.com/catalog_pages/english_arms/%28736_D%29.htm

As I am sure you are well aware, there will be a wait for the parts. However, there will be a longer wait for originals.

[hammer]

You could try Peter Dyson and Son here in the UK.   They have an Enfield trigger guard in their catalogue.

http://www.peterdyson.co.uk/acatalog/ENFIELD_RIFLE_parts.html

Very good castings and service and usually ship within 24 hours.    Some of the extensive range of parts they stock are originals.   

Good people.

[Clark Badgett]

This place is a standard source for the authenticity minded CW reenactors. http://www.lodgewood.com/
All Civil War era Enfield muskets were hand made and the parts are not usually inter-changeable. And there were 3 different standardized types imported. The 4th type was probably not imported. IF the lock is true, it's a Birmingham make and probably a type 3.

[Nate McKenzie]

The only Enfield I have seen with an iron TG had no British proofmarks on the barrel and was supposedly made under contract in Belgium.  If it is not rifled, it could also have been made in India for Indian troops.  Hope this might help you find parts but they were hand made and not interchangeable.

[Clark Badgett]

I have seen exactly 1 Enfield with proven ACW heritage with an iron trigger guard. It was a two band rifle, P56 and was a true oddball. All other P53 3 band rifle-muskets had gunmetal trigger guards

[Lucky R A]

    Thanks for all the responses and possible sources. After reading your input I rechecked the gun and find that it indeed has a 33" barrel and of the two band type.  The barrel is smoothbore and mikes out about .640 give or take a few rust scales.  The barrel appears to be spiral wound Damascus construction.  All the mounts are iron including the nosecap; no brass whatsoever.  My guess is that the stock has been scraped down and refinished w/ a couple coats of linseed oil many, many years ago.  There are no inspector marks on the wood or exposed parts of the barrel.  The gun was purchased in the 50-s or early 60-s, probably before the imports from Nepal etc. hit the market.  It is only an assumption that it was war surplus that got sold to the public. 

Thanks

Ron

[Chris Treichel]

I would check with these guys... if its American military arms especially pre WWII they will either have it in stock or know who does. Their usually at the Baltimore show and are nice folks to deal with. S &S Firearms Looks like they have origional bands of the type your looking for at about $40. http://www.ssfirearms.com/products.asp?cat=89&pg=4

[Old Bob]

Not all CW Enfields were handmade. Those at Enfield Lock and London Armoury were Class I machine made. However, whether you have a machine made rifle or one from Birmingham whatever original parts you may get could be from either and will probably need to be fitted.

[Clark Badgett]

Not all CW Enfields were handmade. Those at Enfield Lock and London Armoury were Class I machine made. However, whether you have a machine made rifle or one from Birmingham whatever original parts you may get could be from either and will probably need to be fitted.

This is news to me. And I've seen the info from the source. Do you have any that I've missed?

[Hungry Horse]

Smooth bore, wrapped barrel, iron fittings, Well, my money is going on it being an India Enfield. Some Enfield pattern muskets were sold by the East India Company as trade guns. Heck, there are still unused locks from these things floating around. JMO.

                      Hungry Horse

[hawknknife]

Your pattern 1856 two band rifle is probably a Birmingham product and the parts WILL NOT interchange with the guns made at enfield or the London Armoury which had interchangeable parts.  The pattern 56 band, the lower one, will not interchange with the lower pattern 53 band on the three band rifle.  The iron trigger guard has the long lower tang with the rear swivel attached,  The brass pattern 53 has the swivel on the front of the guard and is much shorter.  I'll bet yours has a lug for a sword bayonet. The lock wont interchange nor will the internals without being fitted.
   The only place you will find the lower band is from Lodgewood Mfg and they only have repros that must be fitted but can be done.  I searched high and low, even in England for the lower band and ain't none to be had.
    You probably won't find the trigger guard except repro that will have to be fitted.  S&S firearms is a good bet for both.  Look at your rifle, top of stock in front of the butt plate tang and see if their are any markings in the wood like HS an anchor or crown.  Look behind the lower guard tang for the same type markings...very important if they are there.
This would be a CS purchased gun, should have the number "25" twice in the proof marks on the side of the breech. That is 25 ga or .577 caliber.  If you can post a pic of the proofs, I can tell you if it is a Birmingham product. 
    If it may be offered to sale, I would be very interested, love to see some pics...Hope this helps..Carl

[hawknknife]

Sorry but I jumped in before reading the entire post.  With the 64 cal bore and damascus  looking barrel construction, it probably is an Indian, Packy, Afgan, made gun.  They made copies of the Enfields with CW period dates on the lock.  A good pic could explain everything.

[Old Bob]

Not all CW Enfields were handmade. Those at Enfield Lock and London Armoury were Class I machine made. However, whether you have a machine made rifle or one from Birmingham whatever original parts you may get could be from either and will probably need to be fitted.

This is news to me. And I've seen the info from the source. Do you have any that I've missed?

In the 1850's what was known as the "Enfield Commision" visited Springfield Armory as well as contractors who were producing fully interchangeable rifle-muskets with the view of setting up the Royal Small Arms Factory to manufacture interchangeable weapons. Eventually, London Armoury bought a full suite of machinery from Ames Mfg. Co. of Chicopee Falls for this purpose. Also, Robbins & Lawrence had been building machine made rifles for the British government on contract. The British were so impressed by both the quality of work and the machines found at that plant that they ordered machines from Robbins & Lawrence who gladly sold them to England. This move cut their own throats because the works at Enfield were soon producing machine made guns and they no longer needed to buy them from Robbins and Lawrence. By the way, James Burton was sent over to superintend the installation and early operation at Enfield. These two plants are the only ones to my knowledge that produced interchangeable Enfield rifle-muskets. It is said that late in the CW that a complete suite of Enfield machinery was built and sent through the blockade to the South but when the War ended it was still in a warehouse in Bermuda.

[Clark Badgett]

Thanks Old Bob. It's been years since I last did any studying on Enfield stuff. I may have heard this in the past, but don't recall it. I do know there were several contracts leased over here, but never connected the dots for us sending the machinery back there.

[Old Bob]

I can't remember half of what I've read over the years myself. I've got a few books here with more details but it would take more time than I have to dig it all out. I'd like to know more about the English made Enfield machinery that was supposedly supplied to the Confederacy. I've read that it was stranded in a warehouse in Bermuda when the War ended. The South adopted the Enfield as the standard long arm and this machinery was supposed to become the backbone of production. If it did exist, I wonder what happened to it. Probably sold as scrap.

[Clark Badgett]

Oh, I am always an old machinery junky. I can spend hours just staring at those old wonderful tools.

[Old Bob]

That's me. Old guns, tools and machinery keep me droolin'!

[Nate McKenzie]

As the plot thickens, Much of the Robins & Lawrence Enfield tooling went to Colt,  Amoskeag Mfg., and Lamson, Goodnow & Yale  to be used in the production of the Special Model 1861 musket widely used in our Civil War.

[sunnysmile]

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