what enfield is best for union impression

[98thpvi]

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone could help me on the correct lock plate marking for a union enfield. Is the J.P. Moore enfield the better choice or like windsor or tower the better one. thanks

Sorry if this was discussed before.

christopher harwick
98th pennsylvania Co. A
George Meade Society of Philadelphia
A Btry 1-94 Fa 1st Armored Division regular army

[Johan Steele]

Both the JP Moore & Windsor were relatively rare; though both were true American Enfields w/ Windsors being the only ones w/ band springs to see much service in the US and made in the US. Such an arm would be an early war model w/ as much if not more CS use (I believe Georgia ended up w/ a good number) due to their sale on the surplus market.

The JP Moore was a parts gun IIRC made up from parts gathered in England and put together here in the US on American stocks. Again a fairly rare arm, though w/ far more documentable use in Union forces.

By Aug 63 w/ several captures of Blockade Runners carrying shipments of the P53 and the surrender at Vicksburg someting in the neighborhood of 100,000 CS bound or issued Enfield arms had been captured and were reissued to US forces. So the correct lockplate? I would look for the most common and go for PEC; in some cases there are Regimental records detailed enough to id what was issued.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

In brief and to over-generalize...
The most "common" Enfield in ACW use was the P1853, 3rd Pattern made by the Birmingham Small Arms Trade (BSAT) with locks marked "Tower" and dated 1862,
1861, and 1863 in frequency.

Of course, there are some others such as the London Commercial firms and London Armory Company, etc. etc.

Curt

[98thpvi]

Hey guys thanks for the info it's a big help.

Christopher Harwick

[JacobReichwein]

Try this:

www.civilwarguns.com/enf2a1.html

[tater]

after the seige of vicksburg, Gen. Grant autherized the re-issuing of captured english tower enfield muskets, rifles, ammunition, and accessories(bayonet,scabbard,cap box,etc,etc) to the troops that were carring outdated or "inadiquate" arms. The rest of the captured confederate weaponry( excluding, of course, the "good" artillery cannon) were liquidated.
Hope that helps.