This is the musket I wrote about in my last post. I got a lot of photos of the thing and after consulting with two more colleagues I was informed that this is in fact an early model Enfield. The first models had the retention spring held barrel bands, similar to a Springfield.
I also found out that this weapon was brought back to the states from Afghanistan by a currently serving US soldier. This simple fact explains a lot about the weapon. This weapon most likely did not see Civil War service, but rather was a weapon given to provincial Afghani troops during the days of the British Empire. Stuff like this is turning up all over the place over there. In the photo below you will notice the weapon is now smoothbore, rather than rifled. The Brits did this to most of the weapons they gave to the colonials for a variety of reasons. So while this weapon will not go on display in the Civil War visitors center, its an interesting piece of history that we seem to have collectively solved.
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This is the musket I wrote about in my last post. I got a lot of photos of the thing and after consulting with two more colleagues I was informed that this is in fact an early model Enfield. The first models had the retention spring held barrel bands, similar to a Springfield.
I also found out that this weapon was brought back to the states from Afghanistan by a currently serving US soldier. This simple fact explains a lot about the weapon. This weapon most likely did not see Civil War service, but rather was a weapon given to provincial Afghani troops during the days of the British Empire. Stuff like this is turning up all over the place over there. In the photo below you will notice the weapon is now smoothbore, rather than rifled. The Brits did this to most of the weapons they gave to the colonials for a variety of reasons. So while this weapon will not go on display in the Civil War visitors center, its an interesting piece of history that we seem to have collectively solved..JPG)
1 comment:
When I was in Afghanistan from 2004-2005, weapons like this were all over the place. It was nothing to stop in a bazar and see a couple dozen muzzle loaders, old first generation breechloaders, etc. Many were adorned with tacks or had inscriptions. Usually you could pick them up for $10 to $40 depending on your haggling skills. Later, when enough GIs had rotated through the price went up to $100 or more. One has to wonder, if these weapons could talk, what stories they might tell.
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