Enfield Question

[Moses Milner]

My apologies if this has been asked and answered before...
Were the Enfields of the 1860s finished bright or were they blued? I have seen "defarbed" guns done each way, and don't know which is correct. Maybe both, depending on the maker?
Thanks in advance.
Moses Milner

[spadegrip]

My apologies if this has been asked and answered before...
Were the Enfields of the 1860s finished bright or were they blued? I have seen "defarbed" guns done each way, and don't know which is correct. Maybe both, depending on the maker?
Thanks in advance.
Moses Milner
All Enfields were issued blued with the exception I believe of a very small contract to the US gov. Some regiments required the bluing removed, but 99% were issued blued.

[Mike w/ 34th]

Enfields were blued, and there are instructions in the armorer's manual for rebluing them periodically. The guns from RM Enfield were blued, and there's every indication that London Armory and Birmingham rifle-muskets were blued, too.

I think the idea that all Enfields were issued armory bright comes from post-war arsensal refurbishment, when a limited number of Enfields were struck bright. There are some accounts of soldiers in the field polishing the blue off their Enfields, but the idea that it was universally done is, in my opinion, an incorrect generalization.

So unless you have evidence to the contrary for a particular unit and time that you're portraying, blued would be the most correct finish.

[Maillemaker]

As above, blued.

I highly recommend this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Musket-Historical-Accuracy-Lock/dp/0974220124/ref=la_B001K8VAPU_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392044352&sr=1-2

By Craig L. Barry
The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy-Lock, Stock, and Barrel

The subject of Enfield bluing and many other things about Enfields and other Civil War muskets are discussed in this easy to read book.

Steve

[Steve Weems]

As above, blued.

I highly recommend this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Musket-Historical-Accuracy-Lock/dp/0974220124/ref=la_B001K8VAPU_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392044352&sr=1-2

By Craig L. Barry
The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy-Lock, Stock, and Barrel

The subject of Enfield bluing and many other things about Enfields and other Civil War muskets are discussed in this easy to read book.

Steve

I was lucky enough to come upon an original Enfield P1853 and went thru all the parts and compared them to the specs in Craig Barry's
book. It is a BSAT by Tipping & Lawden marked Tower 1863 and the barrel has a very dark bluing. No sign of it ever haveing been
refinished. Great book for specs and a good read.

[Moses Milner]

Thanks guys!
Much appreciated
MM

[Carolina Reb]

Between 1868 and 1871 about 110,000 Enfields were cleaned and repaired at Springfield. These were most likely struck up bright since Springfield didn't do much bluing before M-1873 Trapdoors came in.