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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Single Shots & Combination Guns

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Oldbrit
.333 member

Reged: 04/04/10
Posts: 381
Loc: UK

Enfield Conversion
#223486 - 13/01/13 03:51 AM

I was at the range when I saw this conversion on the 1853 Enfield Rifle. All I can tell you is that it was in .45 calibre. Unfortunately the owner was leaving as I arrived and all I managed to do was get the pictures. I hope they are of interest. Can anyone identify the rifle?

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DarylS
.700 member

Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27014
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: Enfield Conversion [Re: Oldbrit]
#223491 - 13/01/13 04:10 AM

The action is a take-off or perhaps earlier version of the Snider action - so - either before or after - I don't know.

The gun commonly known as a "ZULU" - similar action with a 12 bore smooth barrel was another. The Zulu's 'breech block' pulled to the rear for extraction, whereas this one seems to have an extractor, which might place it AFTER the Snider or Zulu action. I had a Zulu some time ago and my younger daughter shot her first grouse with it.

I lined the bore so it would shoot the 2.1" .45/70 round but only loaded it as a 'carbine load, ie: 55gr. 2F and a 405gr. bullet, this, to keep pressures well down in the mid teens.
The gun - as-chambered disappeared in a friend's divorce case - locked out and the gun disappeared, so I've no idea where it landed.
I've never seen this style action on an Enfield 2 band rifle before.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Oldbrit
.333 member

Reged: 04/04/10
Posts: 381
Loc: UK

Re: Enfield Conversion [Re: DarylS]
#223556 - 13/01/13 10:36 PM

Daryl,

You're correct, the gun did have an extractor. As you pivoted the breech block to the left at the extreme of its travel an extractor popped out in the bottom left-hand corner of the breech, it would have moved the case back about a sixteenth of an inch.

The only other thing I noticed was that the firing pin was not spring loaded, you had to manually retract it to open or close the breech block. I don't think this was simply a symptom of a broken or missing spring, it seemed to be part of the design and apparently accounted for the size and shape of the external part of the firing pin.

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DarylS
.700 member

Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27014
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: Enfield Conversion [Re: Oldbrit]
#223571 - 14/01/13 03:15 AM

Very possible in the design for a need to pull the pin backwards after re-setting the hammer to the 1/2 bent position - Due to the angles involved when rotating the breech with only your thumb or hand, the pin could drag heavily in the primer's cup until retracted, or simply move out of the pin's depression as in some of the other earlier actions. I can visualize the enlarged pin assisting in grabbing it for retraction if necessary - as it seemed to be.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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