Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifled Musket
Royal Small Arms Factory · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1853
Also known as: P53, Enfield Rifle-Musket, Pattern 1853 Enfield, Three-Band Enfield
Overview
The Pattern 1853 Enfield (P53) was a .577 caliber percussion rifled musket and the standard British infantry arm from 1853 to the mid-1860s. Produced at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock and by London and Birmingham contractors, it used three-groove rifling and Minié-type ammunition. One of the most widely exported military arms of its era, it was imported in vast numbers by both the Union and the Confederacy during the American Civil War, second only to the Springfield as the most common rifle of that conflict.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4309 g (152.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1397 mm (55.00") |
| Barrel Length | 991 mm (39.02") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Muzzle Velocity | 274 m/s (899 fps) |
| Effective Range | 274 m (300 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1143 m (1250 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 3 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 1981 mm (77.99") |
| Number of Grooves | 3 |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | White Metal |
Calibers
- .577 Caliber Minié Ball · primary — also known as 0.577 in, 14.7 mm, .577 Pritchett
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Rifled Barrel, Muzzle Loaded, Percussion Cap, Ladder Rear Sight, Socket Bayonet Lug, Ramrod
Variants
- Pattern 1856 Short Rifle — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1853 · as Pattern 1853
- Union Army / United States
- Confederate States Army
Conflicts
- Crimean War (1853-1856)
- Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857-1858)
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- Anglo-Zulu War (1879)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,500,000 · Production years: 1853-1867
Produced at RSAF Enfield plus London and Birmingham contract makers; roughly 1.5 million in circulation, with hundreds of thousands exported to the United States.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Discontinued: 1867
Notes
Barrel is 39 in (991 mm); rifling twist is one turn in 78 inches (1:78). Muzzle velocity figures vary widely across sources (roughly 274-381 m/s). Maximum range reflects the ladder sight graduated to 1,250 yards.
Background
Rumors that the P53's paper cartridges were greased with beef tallow and pork lard, offending both Hindu and Muslim sepoys who had to bite them open, were a proximate spark of the 1857 Indian Rebellion.