Finally found a .65 Indian Musket

[Stantheman86]

Thanks to a forum member, I was able to finally find an Indian made .65 Enfield Cavalry Carbine.

This one a little older, but these are direct copies of original .65 "Mutiny Muskets" and you can still get them new from various vendors.

I'll have to test fire this to see what works in it, maybe a "shot" cartridge with 3 or 4 .490 balls or 2 or 3 .570's.

Plus whatever is more easily obtainable that's close to a .61 or so that I can roll into a cartridge

This is several inches shorter than even my Parker-Hale Musketoons, these are really neat little carbines.

The original .65 Indian Muskets like the P59 3-bander and these Cavalry carbines were used well into the cartridge era and I'm pretty sure they were made in India up until the 1880s. The "repros" were most likely made by the small little Indian gun makers because there were likely so many originals still around to copy.

I am curious what kind of leather gear and cartridge boxes were used with these .65 Muskets.

 

[Walkabout]

View attachment 140268

View attachment 140269

Thanks to a forum member, I was able to finally find an Indian made .65 Enfield Cavalry Carbine.

This one a little older, but these are direct copies of original .65 "Mutiny Muskets" and you can still get them new from various vendors.

I'll have to test fire this to see what works in it, maybe a "shot" cartridge with 3 or 4 .490 balls or 2 or 3 .570's.

Plus whatever is more easily obtainable that's close to a .61 or so that I can roll into a cartridge

This is several inches shorter than even my Parker-Hale Musketoons, these are really neat little carbines.

The original .65 Indian Muskets like the P59 3-bander and these Cavalry carbines were used well into the cartridge era and I'm pretty sure they were made in India up until the 1880s. The "repros" were most likely made by the small little Indian gun makers because there were likely so many originals still around to copy.

I am curious what kind of leather gear and cartridge boxes were used with these .65 Muskets.

I've been eyeing one of those myself. Let us know how it shoots.

 

[flconch53]

I would test it with a lighter load before I put 3 .570's it. You can buy .610 round balls from track as well as others

 

[Stantheman86]

I've been eyeing one of those myself. Let us know how it shoots.

I'd say the .65 is probably the way to go, it's super short , and it's basically a 16 gauge shotgun. Plus it's at least a copy of a real musket that existed. Loyalist Arms sells the .65's.

Middlesex Village has them in .58 Smoothbore, which is the caliber my 3-band Indian Enfield musket is, and it's not really as much fun as the big bore smoothies.

 

[Rudyard]

These where on offer in small Indian shops in the early 70s I was told they where for the local trade . Yours looks fine , The original three band ones shot well I don't know if there where conical carts supplied to the Sepoys & Sowars but my guess is ball carts would be likley. Have fun,
Regards Rudyard
PS the cartridge pouch & all such are made in NZ though there will probably be makers in the US R

 

[Notchy Bob]

Well, that is a handy little gun! It is similar in many respects to a little smoothbore we have in the family. Ours is either an Enfield or an Enfield knock-off... I don't recall. It has been years since I've seen it. Ours was smuggled back home to Alabama from Virginia at the end of the War Between the States. Ordinary people in the south were not allowed to have firearms for a number of years after the war. The gun we have was used in common by members of the local community, and was kept hidden in a hollow log out in the woods. I don't know where they got powder, caps, and shot... It was likely smuggled in, or maybe traded from one of the Yankee troops of occupation who wanted a snort of the local "corn juice."

People needed protein in their diets, and the occupying troops, out "foraging," would routinely confiscate livestock. The gun would be taken out to kill a wild hog or whatever, cleaned, and put back in the log.

The story goes that when a shot was heard, troopers would ride to the sound and ask, "Did you hear a shot?"

The answer was always, "Yessir! I shore did! It come from over yonder!" (Pointing in the opposite direction).

The troops would ride to the next home, ask the same question, and get a similar response. Over and over, until men and horses were done in from the wild goose chase. Somehow, this simple strategy worked, as the gun still survives in a southern family to this day.

Nice gun, brother! Enjoy it!

Notchy Bob

 

[vintovka]

These are neat little guns. I have owned 3. Two in approx .577 which is long sold and one in 12 Gauge which i still have. All were made in same shop in india and bear/bore caliber/gauge markings along with proof marks. All were acquired from folks as "decorators" but will shoot just fine.

 

[Stantheman86]

I would test it with a lighter load before I put 3 .570's it. You can buy .610 round balls from track as well as others

Maybe 5 or 6 pellets of 00 Buck lead shot would be fun too

 

[Stantheman86]

Well, that is a handy little gun! It is similar in many respects to a little smoothbore we have in the family. Ours is either an Enfield or an Enfield knock-off... I don't recall. It has been years since I've seen it. Ours was smuggled back home to Alabama from Virginia at the end of the War Between the States. Ordinary people in the south were not allowed to have firearms for a number of years after the war. The gun we have was used in common by members of the local community, and was kept hidden in a hollow log out in the woods. I don't know where they got powder, caps, and shot... It was likely smuggled in, or maybe traded from one of the Yankee troops of occupation who wanted a snort of the local "corn juice."

People needed protein in their diets, and the occupying troops, out "foraging," would routinely confiscate livestock. The gun would be taken out to kill a wild hog or whatever, cleaned, and put back in the log.

The story goes that when a shot was heard, troopers would ride to the sound and ask, "Did you hear a shot?"

The answer was always, "Yessir! I shore did! It come from over yonder!" (Pointing in the opposite direction).

The troops would ride to the next home, ask the same question, and get a similar response. Over and over, until men and horses were done in from the wild goose chase. Somehow, this simple strategy worked, as the gun still survives in a southern family to this day.

Nice gun, brother! Enjoy it!

Notchy Bob

I have an original P53 Enfield that was bored smooth to about .60 or so, but otherwise left in it's original configuration

The story was, from the seller, that it came from a family that found it in a Tennessee farm house, it was carried home by a Confederate soldier and likely bored smooth into a bird gun , maybe to comply with those laws ? Or maybe someone needed a barn shotgun? I bought it years ago when stuff wasn't crazy expensive and it cost me less than a repro would have then, so I had no reason to think he was "faking me out " , it's just a nice P53 that may have ran the blockade , was used in the war and was later probably a farm gun.

These family stories are neat, especially if you still have that gun.

 

[Stantheman86]

These are neat little guns. I have owned 3. Two in approx .577 which is long sold and one in 12 Gauge which i still have. All were made in same shop in india and bear/bore caliber/gauge markings along with proof marks. All were acquired from folks as "decorators" but will shoot just fine.

This one does have proof marks which is neat, along with the Indian gun makers name.

The captured ram rod is amazingly cool, I wish Pedersoli would make these in .58 with rifled bores.

I had tried a while back to get Loyalist Arms to have a P59 made for me but they said the Indians wouldn't do it.

That 1839 .75 Musket does look cool though

 

[vintovka]

I have always thought about a rifled liner in the 12G but its too much fun the way it is. I use 65g 2f with a rem power piston cup and 1.2 oz (?) of number 6. Milk Carton overshot punched with pipe cutter. Patterns well but 25 yards and thats about it. Mine has brass swivels so a handy carry. A leather tie on the saddle ring keeps it quiet for field use. Mainspring is a beast BTW.

 

[Stantheman86]

I have always thought about a rifled liner in the 12G but its too much fun the way it is. I use 65g 2f with a rem power piston cup and 1.2 oz (?) of number 6. Milk Carton overshot punched with pipe cutter. Patterns well but 25 yards and thats about it. Mine has brass swivels so a handy carry. A leather tie on the saddle ring keeps it quiet for field use. Mainspring is a beast BTW.

I'm thinking that a few .310 pellets on top of a .61 round ball , that's available pre cast because of all the .62 T/C smoothies , should be a fun 25 yard blasting load

 

[hanshi]

That really is a neat gun; handy & light for easy carry. Likely it will do well with patched ball just as long as a good load is worked up. I'd enjoy having one like yours.

 

[sheba]

I like swivel ram rods as well.I have one on my Springfield carbine