Post by longtrail on Apr 10, 2009 11:57:38 GMT -5
I recently got an email from a friend who had received an email about a fella from here in MOntana who found this old rifle in a hollow tree. It was supposedly heavily greased all over and wrapped in something. I contacted Shady Bill, being he's the only gun expert I know and he had this input about the rifle. I thought some of you other guys, or gals might enjoy seeing this old treasure. I blacked the guy's face out because I did not have permission to use his likeness.
Here's what Shady Bill had to say about the rifle so far:
boy what a find. if only that gun could talk imagine the story it could tell. wonder why the owner felt he needed to hide it in a tree, wonder why the owner never came back for it. i wonder wonder wonder, why.
i don't know as much as i should about these old guns, there are people out there who know more about them than i do, but from what i can tell by the pictures i believe it to be a 1853 enfield. they were english made from 1853-1867. they saw alot of use during the civil war. there were about 1,500,000 made. the english did things differently and called it a .577 caliber. so damn close to a 58 that it probadly thinks its a 58.
if its a enfield rifle it had to get put in that old tree after the civil war. a old soldier could have came west after the war armed with that rifle looking for gold. or a soldier could have been stationed somewhere around there and that was his issue gun. a deserter could have stashed it in that tree planning his escape only not to make it, could have been captured by indians or cought by the military he was deserting from and hung or shot.
i thought at first it to be a 1855 springfield which is a american arm, it was the first american military rifle to be made in the 58 caliber. it was in use from 1857 -1867.
but the lock(the hammer assembly) don't match the 1855 springfield.
the other springfields have different stock shapes than the one in your picture, so i really don't know.
if its english(enfield) there should be a crown on the lock plate. if its american(springfield) there should be a eagle on the lock plate.
boy what i would give to have been the lucky son of a b***h to have found that old gun.
Here's what Shady Bill had to say about the rifle so far:
boy what a find. if only that gun could talk imagine the story it could tell. wonder why the owner felt he needed to hide it in a tree, wonder why the owner never came back for it. i wonder wonder wonder, why.
i don't know as much as i should about these old guns, there are people out there who know more about them than i do, but from what i can tell by the pictures i believe it to be a 1853 enfield. they were english made from 1853-1867. they saw alot of use during the civil war. there were about 1,500,000 made. the english did things differently and called it a .577 caliber. so damn close to a 58 that it probadly thinks its a 58.
if its a enfield rifle it had to get put in that old tree after the civil war. a old soldier could have came west after the war armed with that rifle looking for gold. or a soldier could have been stationed somewhere around there and that was his issue gun. a deserter could have stashed it in that tree planning his escape only not to make it, could have been captured by indians or cought by the military he was deserting from and hung or shot.
i thought at first it to be a 1855 springfield which is a american arm, it was the first american military rifle to be made in the 58 caliber. it was in use from 1857 -1867.
but the lock(the hammer assembly) don't match the 1855 springfield.
the other springfields have different stock shapes than the one in your picture, so i really don't know.
if its english(enfield) there should be a crown on the lock plate. if its american(springfield) there should be a eagle on the lock plate.
boy what i would give to have been the lucky son of a b***h to have found that old gun.