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SOLD Original P53 Enfield For Sale

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Rather than keep this nice old Enfield locked up in a safe, I'm posting it for your consideration. The barrel was replaced with a .577 Whitacre, but the original breech was retained. Lodgewood did a nice trigger job on it, and the rifle is very accurate. I simply don't have the opportunity to shoot it. The musket is glass bedded and skirmish ready. $1,599.00. If interested, please contact me at [email protected]
Thanks. Jim
 

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The musket is very accurate particularly when loaded with 42 1/2 grains of 3FG behind a Hodgon minie. It splits cards at 20 yards, cuts the X ring out of the target at 50 yards, breaks 6 inch ceramic tiles at 100 and rings 24" X 24" gongs at 200 yards. Oh, and you can shoot two to three shots per minute using prepared ammunition
 
I see that you are new. Welcome to the forum. Might want to read the forum rules-cartridge guns are verboten.
 
As much as I would truly love to accept a nice German Shorthair Pointer puppy as payment for this original musket, I just don't have the time to give a puppy the attention it deserves. Heck, I barely have time to shoot as much as I'd like. It did however get me to thinking, that it's probably just as unfair of me to keep this old soldier locked in a safe as it would be to keep a dog locked up in a kennel. If anyone appreciates shooting a nice original musket, I'll sell this one for $1,249.00 plus actual shipping costs. Consider it a Memorial Day sale. If no one buys it by the 31st, I can put this old warrior back in the safe without feeling guilty. I may be contacted by sending me a PM here on the fourm.
 
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One of the nice things about guns is that you don't have to feed and shelter them like livestock or students. I took the old soldier out today to the range to commemorate Memorial Day. I fired a fouling shot into the 100 yard berm, and then put four shots offhand into a modern 100 yard target designed to simulate 300 yard distance. The target is thus much smaller than a standard muzzleloading target. I had a tendancy to shoot high, but was pleased with the offhand group fired at 75 yards.
75 Yard 4 Round Offhand.jpg


I then posted fresh paper at 100 yards, and got off 12 shots in 5 minutes. (1 shot every 25 seconds) I displayed the same tendency to shoot high at 100 yards, as I did at 75. Considering I was trying to fire as fast as I could load, I thought it was very acceptable offhand accuracy and would have been very effective during the Civil War.

100 Yard Rapid Fire.jpg


Since, no one actually purchased the musket, despite dozens of questions I've returned it to the safe . I enjoy shooting the old guns since they are drenched in history, load easily , shoot accurately and have all the correct details that the imitations lack. I'll take it out of the safe next Memorial Day and bring it back to the range for another shooting session.
 
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Nice shooting, Jim!

I was interested in this gun, but don't have enough experience in the area to know what they're worth. At around $1300 to my door, I had to think real hard about it. When no one else grabbed it, I'm wondering why not? With a very nice, new barrel and the rest of the gun in good shape, why didn't it sell? It seems that an original should be worth that much or more. I'm new to these guns and don't have the 'feel' of the market.

So my question is why didn't it sell? The Parker Hale copies sell for almost as much. Was it because it's not all original with a replacement barrel? Is it because everyone is saving for flintlocks? What is it?
 
Your guess is as good as mine. Dixie sells Pedersoli's interpretation for a dollar more than this original. I'm an old guy and remember when shooting muzzleloaders largely meant shooting originals. I think many modern shooters prefer replica's to originals, perhaps on the premise that the old guns are too precious or precarious to shoot. I think Whitacre's American made, Virginia built barrels are better made than the European imports, and deliver exceptional accuracy. Original locks perform better than reproductions. But, I'm happy to put the old soldier back in the safe. I'm an Enfield aficionado, and only advertised this one because I have too many others. I have a very nice pristine Type 2 which I enjoy shooting, and an immaculate Type 3 that I use for educational purposes. I have no intention of selling either. Since this nice Type 3 didn't sell for $1,249.00 I rather doubt posting an unblemished musket for$5,300.00 would sell faster. Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I think most reenactors are interested in muskets as an historical prop. I think more blackpowder shooters prefer round ball guns to muskets, thus the market for accurate rifle/muskets is somewhat limited. Re-enactors shoot blanks, and many people in the blackpowder community prefer to shoot roundball. It's a musket, not milk. It won't spoil, but can repose undisturbed in a safe.
 
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