Know anything about this?

S

Soporifix

Inactive
Curious whether anyone can tell me the possible history of this gun. It's been in our house for decades. The stock marking is hard to read but has a date of 1861. The mark on the metal plate has a crown and "VR."
 
1861 & "VR" (Victoria Regina) sounds like some form of Lee-Enfield (bolt action rifle)or Webly (revolver).:confused::confused: You say "stock" so that seems to imply a longarm like a rifle or shotgun though???

Its very little information to go on though. You don't even sat if it's a pistol, or rifle. Pictures, a detailed description, or even just a letter by letter copy of all the marks & the location on the gun will help to give you more.
 
Soporifix,

Your question is somewhat akin to asking: "I have a blue car that was made in the U.S. sometime in the 1970s. What can you tell me about it?"

Without more details information or photos (preferably good quality and in focus), your description doesn't give anyone much to go on.
 
Would be Enfield the crown says Victoria Regina. Not Lee-Enfield its a couple decades older then the bolt action system came out. it would be a .577 caplock or Snyder cartage conversion. Pictures are needed. You might have a piece of gold there. Are there any other markings anywhere on the gun? It could have been imported by the US or CS during the CW. If it was it would have inspector stamps.
 
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1861 & "VR" (Victoria Regina) sounds like some form of Lee-Enfield (bolt action rifle)or Webly (revolver). You say "stock" so that seems to imply a longarm like a rifle or shotgun though???
Click to expand...

A good trick since the Lee-Enfield didn't appear until the 1890's.

More than likely you have an Enfield .58 caliber musket or variation thereof.
 
300px-British_Musketoon.jpg


For comparison, this is a Pattern 1861 Enfield Musketoon (above), an alteration to the Pattern 1853 (below) .

300px-Pattern1853Rifle.jpg


AFAIK, The Snyder conversion of the Pattern 1853 was introduced in 1866.

.
 
The Snider conversions began in 1866, but like the US trapdoor conversions, they used the old lock plates with the original manufacturing date.

Jim
 
I'm for the p53. Could be 3 band or 2 band. Could be converted. Don't know about the rest of the gun, but the LOCK PLATE sounds p53. Crown over VR is def British proof. Is there a maker listed as is Barnett or La & Co. or anything like that.
 
Technically, the crown/VR is not a proof mark, it is a British military property mark, signifying that the weapon is the property of the crown. It is equivalent to the "U.S." or "U.S. Property" on Amercan arms or the Imperial Chrysanthemum on Japanese arms.

Jim
 
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