CONFEDERATE E.P. BOND RIFLE MUSKET

CONFEDERATE E.P. BOND RIFLE MUSKET

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$1,500.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 2026-740

The British made Pattern 1853 “Enfield” rifle-musket was the second most used infantry long arm of the American Civil War. It was the first “small bore” rifled long arm to see general issue to all British military personnel, effectively making every soldier a “rifleman” and the smoothbore musket obsolete. The .577 caliber rifled bore was a significant ballistic development. The Pattern 1853 would significantly influence the design of the new American Model 1855 Rifle-Musket and all arms production going forward. Approaching a million Enfields including rifles, rifle-muskets, musketoons and carbines saw use in the American Civil War. Today, it is difficult to determine if a specific Enfield was exported from Britain to the North or South. Recently, the Horse Soldier acquired a collection of imported British Enfield rifle-muskets that were destined for the Southern Confederacy. This "study collection" offers weapons by various contractors with varying dates of manufacture all having distinctive markings that make them exclusively Confederate imports, in this case a Bond. Bond was one of the larger London gun making companies. They could trace their roots in the business to the early 1700’s.  Over the next hundred years the family flourished in the gun trade. In 1835 Edward Philip Bond was apprenticed to his uncle William Thomas Bond. In 1836, Edward was turned over to John Edward Barnett to continue his apprenticeship and was free of the Gunmakers Company in 1842. The time Bond spent apprenticed to Barnett no doubt established the long-time relationship between the two companies, Bond and Barnett, that continued well into the American Civil War era, as both firms became major suppliers of arms to the Confederacy. However, unlike Barnett who sold to both North and South, all E.P. Bond "Enfield" type rifle-muskets went to the Confederacy!

This British Pattern 1853 Enfield (with the modifications based on field use is today called by many collectors the Pattern 1858 or 3rd Pattern) rifle-musket is not dated but is marked "E. P. BOND" over "LONDON". The mechanics are fine. The screw holding the hammer is old but a replacement. The gun is devoid of any British military inspection or acceptance markings and is a typical London-made contract gun for commercial sale that was destined for export from Great Britain. The 39-inch age brown barrel is London proofed. The bore is 577 caliber and has good rifling. The 3-barrel bands have age brown patination. There is a brass butt plate brass nose. The rear sight base is there as is the long-graduated sight but the elevator and the iron piece at the top with the open sight are gone; lost when a tiny screw fell out. The front sight is present. The gun has no sling swivels in place. The ramrod is missing.  The stock is solid and free of any breaks or repairs. The wood is nice and all corners reasonably sharp. There is an oval CS inspector's cartouche in front of the butt plate tang. It is a script and hard to interpret but this has to be Confederate. This rifle-musket would do well with the addition of a ramrod, sling swivels and replacement of the missing elements from the rear sight. A handsome "bet your life" Confederate import.  [pe] [ph:L]

DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. All firearms are described as accurately as possible, given the restraints of a catalog listing length. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Any city or state regulations regarding owning antique firearms are the responsibility of the purchaser. All firearms are "mechanically perfect" unless noted, but again, are NOT warranted as safe to fire!

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