P1853 Enfield Smoothbore

[nkvd]

Hello All

I have seen these mentioned in recent articles as used by native troops under British command,was
this Enfield version fact or fantasy or were these
recently produced for the re-enactment hobby? :hmm:

Cheers,Rob

 

[torn moc]

copies of a smoothbore Enfield were produced in India a while back....

 

[DCF]

The smoothbore repros appear over here in the UK quite often. Smoothbores are classed as shotguns which require a much less stringent licensing/vetting proceedure and so are easier to obtain permits to use - particularly if you want to go afield.
The re enactors also use them for similar reasons.
I always assumed they had been made up for the UK market.

 

[gjkershul]

After the Sepoy Muntiny in the 1850s British policy was that the Indian Army-then under Britsh Imperial Control- would be armed with one gradation less in arms technology than British troops. The best infantry weapon at the time was rifle musket. Thus Indian troops would be armed with a smoothbore version. When the Snider breechloader was adopted by the British, rifled muskets were then reissued to the Indian Army.

 

[DCF]

The India Pattern Brown Bess was replaced by a percussion cap conversion called the Pattern 1839 (a Bess with a percussion lock). A fire at the arsenal meant they had to think up a percussion smoothbore for the army so they made the Pattern 1842 musket.

Although rifle brigades were using rifled guns, the 1842 smoothbore was the infantry service issue gun up until (and in some cases for some time after) the 1851 rifle musket (which used a whopping .703 Minie bullet). This eventually evolved into the 1853 rifle musket with a more sedate .577 Minie. The 1853 Enfield was probably the most efficient rifle of it’s time.

If Indian troops were issued with a smooth bore it would likely be a Pattern 1842. I don’t think Pattern 1853s were made in smoothbore at the time.

 

[deadin]

All the above plus a lot of surplus Civil War era rifled muskets were "smoothbored" after the war to make them more palatable to folks migrating West. (A "shotgun" was deemed a more useful general purpose gun than a rifle.)
I have a M1863 Springfield that has suffered the same fate. (And it make them harder to sell today. )

Dean

 

[ResearchPress]

Following the Indian Mutiny of 1857 the British concluded that native troops should not be armed with weapons of the same efficiency as those of the British Troops.

There were nine smooth-bored weapons designed for native Indian troops. For the most part externally they resembled the P.53 or P.56 rifles. They were .656 cal. and had a fixed backsight.

David

 

[Musketeer]

Following the Indian Mutiny of 1857 the British concluded that native troops should not be armed with weapons of the same efficiency as those of the British Troops.

There were nine smooth-bored weapons designed for native Indian troops. For the most part externally they resembled the P.53 or P.56 rifles. They were .656 cal. and had a fixed backsight.

David

Given that info, it would seem that this one from Loyalist would be fairly accurate with exception of the adjustable rear sight:
3-Band Smooth It is a .65 cal smoothbore, rather than the .58 smooths made in Italy. Perhaps if it had the rear sight of this 1856 Carbine it would be more PC. :hmm:

 

[nkvd]

Hello All

Thanks for the info,so has anyone encountered an
original P1853 made originally as a smoothbore?

Rob :grin:

 

[ResearchPress]

Yes. They are seen in competitions held by the Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain for percussion muskets.

David

 

[ResearchPress]

Perhaps if it had the rear sight of this 1856 Carbine it would be more PC.

Without seeing the sight in detail, it appears to be similar to those used on the 'mutiny Enfields'.

David