Pedersoli Enfield 1853 3 Band Rifles Musket

As reproductions of historical firearms are Pedersoli’s metier I have always thought it odd they never bothered to offer what is quite probably the quintessential muzzle-loading military rifle of the mid 1800s, the British P1853 .577” Enfield, especially as it was used extensively in the American Civil War. Odd as they offer just about every other long gun that fought in the 17th and 18th centuries. Well now they offer one of the best reproductions of the P1853!

As reproductions of historical firearms are Pedersoli’s metier I have always thought it odd they never bothered to offer what is quite probably the quintessential muzzle-loading military rifle of the mid 1800s, the British P1853 .577” Enfield, especially as it was used extensively in the American Civil War. Odd as they offer just about every other long gun that fought in the 17th and 18th centuries. Well now they offer one of the best reproductions of the P1853!

Banded

Bands refers to the number of straps used to retain the barrel. My test gun was the 3-band Infantry model, which I have always found a bit long. In the UK the 2-band Navy seems to be the most practical, though the compact Musketoon has many fans. Enfield rifles were made by a number of companies for both military service, export and even special models for target shooting.

The 1853 was used in the Crimea and was one of the earliest rifles to step away from the larger bore concept of the .75” Brown Bess flintlock musket and similar guns. Considered a small bore .577”/.58” in its day it was revolutionary, as velocity, accuracy and range was improved. Equally its percussion cap ignition was also a quantum leap forward in reliability, practicality and performance.

Davide Pedersoli chose the third 1863 model - as produced in Birmingham - as their example. It was considered the most popular and produced by Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield and The London Armoury Company of Bermondsey. This model was also exported and uses extensively in the American Civil War. Today this rifle has been approved by the N-SSA (North South Skirmish Association) who promote shooting and re-enactment events with the guns of that conflict.

Old Fashioned

Many readers might never have shot a black powder muzzle-loading rifle and probably consider it stone age by comparison with modern weapons. Though slow and messy there is a huge satisfaction to these guns and rifles like the Enfield are probably some of the easiest to understand.

The basics are simple - a measured charge of black powder is poured down the bore, the bullet is placed in the muzzle then rammed down on top. With that done we turn to the other end. The external hammer offers two positions – half and full cock. Pull it back to half (one click) which exposes the nipple to which a large top hat-type percussion cap is placed, this connects to the chamber by a flash hole.

To fire pull back the hammer to full cock (second click) take sight and squeeze the trigger, the result clouds of smoke and that sewage-like smell of black powder. In a nut shell that is it and I have yet to see a novice fire one without coming away with a big grin on their face. In reality there are far more subtleties much as there are in modern reloading. Bullet size, shape and composition will affect accuracy as will lubricants, some use paper-patched bullets, other put a card wad over the powder charge. Equally balancing the bullet to charge weight is important.

Cleanliness Is…

The residue (fouling) left by the powder builds up quickly in the bore and needs to be removed. If not it can cause erratic ignition and even stop the bullet being fully rammed home. As can be seen for such a basic system it needs looking after. It’s hard to imagine how the soldiers of the day kept their rifles working in action. Vitally important is the fact that the residue is hydroscopic (attracts moisture) and without proper cleaning the guns will literally rust away. This is what puts many people off black powder as it’s not just a case of a quick pull through and oil, but a full process.

That said a properly maintained Enfield in experienced hands may surprise you with the accuracy it can offer, one of the reason they were the rifle of the day. Pedersoli are to be congratulated on the quality of their product too. Stocks are American walnut with the BSAT (Birmingham Small Arms Trade) cartouche stamped into the right side of the butt. Locks colour case-hardened, with barrel and bands beautifully blued. Butt plate, trigger guard and end cap are brass. Components are all stamped up with the officially markings of the day too, so nothing is omitted in creating this amazing reproduction.

A Little Long

The P1853 shows a 39” barrel and is 55” long, with 1-78” rifling twist of and is officially .577” calibre. Sighting is basic with a fixed blade up front and a step/ladder V-notch at the rear adjustable for elevation only. Short range correction is achieved by moving the V-notch block up four side wall graduations 1, 2, 3 and 400 yards. After that the ladder is flipped up and the block slides up to suit. These markings are more advisory, as and depending on powder charge etc., they will not necessarily conform to the ranges marked.

Importers Henry Krank & Co Ltd, also supplied a box of Pedersoli, 620-grain, hollow base Mini Bullets (un-lubricated), RWS # 1081 top hat percussion caps, a cleaning rod that can double as a ram rod and an Enfield combination tool. I opted for FFG Blackpowder and set about finding a load as the bullets are heavier than the military weight which is around 525-grains. One thing to do before actual firing is to fire a few percussion caps off so the flash clears the nipple and flash hole to the chamber, which might be full of oil from the factory or cleaning. It’s a sensible practice to get into!

With a hollow base bullet such as this you need enough pressure to expand the skirt to engage the rifling. Low charges might not do it, equally higher ones may be too much and blow the skirt, both ends of the scale having an effect on accuracy. I started with 50-grains of FFG and worked my way up to a maximum of 75-grains, as I was shooting a bullet 100-grains heavier than most of the load data I found indicated. Accuracy was good with the gun eventually printing 4” at 100-yards with a charge of 70-grains of powder. The only issue is the fixed front sight, which is small and not a lot can be done to move it, the best policy is aiming off to suit.

The gun shot well, though fouling build up started to cause tight ramming after about 10-shots, so I scrubbed out to clean the bore. A tip is to mark the ram rod after the first load has been seated, which will give you the correct length of ram. So it’s easy to tell if you are not fully home. It’s these little nuances that are picked up along the way that make life easier. Like putting insulating tape around the woodwork on the lock to protect it from flash etc.

Though I no longer shoot black powder muzzle-loaders, preferring as I do the cartridge guns of the period. The 1853 Enfield could certainly tempt me back, as it was a lot of fun and not a lot of hassle, however I think I’d still get the Musketoon! GM