Most Accurate .577?

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Which model of .577 bore musket was considered to provide the best accuracy?
1853?
1858?
1861?
1863?
Other?

How come?

Although it was not otherwise mentioned above, the .577 (large-bore) Lancaster oval bore proved in trials to be more accurate at long range than the regulation Enfield. Below is a comparison of the mean deviations of the various small bore and large bore rifles at the ranges indicated, using service ammunition or special (non-service) ammunition. All shooting was from a mechanical rest.

Rifle	300 yds	500 yds	800 yds	1000 yds	1200 yds	Remarks
Lancaster large-bore	0.77	1.69	2.32	3.55	7.33	Service ammunition
Service Enfield	0.79	1.60	4.17	---**	---**	Service ammunition
Enfield small bore	0.41	0.70	1.50	2.11	3.85	Special ammunition
Whitworth small bore	0.40	0.82	1.61	2.43	3.78	Special ammunition
Whitworth large-bore*	0.47	0.68	2.27	3.0	4.59	Special ammunition
Whitworth large-bore	1.08	2.41	5.83	---	---	Service ammunition

* Special ammunition for large-bore Whitworth (26-bore) consisted of a 600-grain wood-filled hollow point cylindro-conical lubricated smooth-sided bullet, approx. 1.30” long, base cavity same as the regulation .577 service bullet (no wood plug), and 0.559” in dia. (being sized about half way between the earlier 0.568” and subsequent 0.550” dia. regulation bullet).

** The shooting of the .577 Service Enfield at ranges of 1,000 and 1,200 yards, having been found by previous trials to be uncertain and variable, the Committee did not consider it necessary for fire it at those extreme ranges in competition with the large-bore Whitworth rifle.

The Committee proceeded to ascertain whether the service ammunition could be fired with advantage from the Whitworth large-bore rifle. The Committee have been given to understand that the Secretary of State had no objection to the trial of such ammunition as Mr. Whitworth chose to submit, provided always, that if could, if required, be fired from the .577 Service Enfield, the Committee proceeded to fire the Whitworth special ammunition from the Enfield rifle but after 16 rounds at 300 yards itwas found necessary to stop the practice, in consequence of the wildness of the shooting, many of the bullets turning over in their flight.

[Extracts from the Reports and Proceedings of the Ordnance Select Committee, Vol. II, Jan to Dec 1864 (HMSO, 1865), pp210-13, 160]

[Southron Sr.]

In 1862 the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia conducted tests for accuracy on the various models of rifles and rifle-muskets then in use by the ANV.

It was discovered that while most Minie Rifles and Rifle-Muskets were roughly equally accurate out to 500 yards, the British Enfield Naval Rifles and the P-60 Army Short Rifle (both rifles used identical 33 inch "heavy" barrels with 5 lands and grooves, and a 1 in 48" twist) were accurate to 800-900 yards when imported British Enfield ammunition was used.

The above mentioned British rifles and ammunition were the preferred arms and ammo issued to Confederate sharpshooters when those arms and ammo was available.

Parker-Hale got it right when they made their replica Naval Rifles with the 5 land and groove barrels and the 1 in 48" twist. However, their barrels are made by the "Hammer Forging" method. Generally, barrels made with cut rifling are considered to be more accurate. My understanding is that Bobby Hoyt can make a replica Naval Rifle barrel by the cut rifling method.

[Dave Fox]

Early-on in this interesting thread the assertion was made that no M.1858 Enfield naval rifles were manufactured by the Royal Small Arms Factory before 1863-'64. I may be splitting hairs here, but recall something like 100 naval Enfields with cutlass bayonets entered the Confederacy aboard the steamship "Fingal" in 1861. If so, someone was producing this model at least that early. I once owned a naval rifle with the "JS & anchor" stamp in the wood below the trigger guard extension, this often believed to denote a Southern association, perhaps one of these arms. As I recall, dimly, it had a "Bond" stamped lockplate.

[Southron Sr.]

First of all, NO, then current production, Enfield Armory made Naval Rifles were ever sold to either the Union or Confederacy. Enfield was the British government owned armory and all the products of that armory were reserved for issue to the British military. The exception was when an Enfield made arm became obsolete in the British military, it was often sold as "surplus" to the gun trade.

However, there were many privately owned armories or even gunshops that produced Enfield pattern arms for not only sale to the British military, but to anyone who was willing to purchase their arms. These were the companies that the Union and Confederacy purchased their "Enfields" from.

Check out this Confederate owned Naval Rifle recently sold by the College Hill Armory:

https://www.collegehillarsenal.com/s...productid=1918

[Southron Sr.]

To further illustrate the accuracy of the P-58 Naval Rifle and P-60 Army Short Rifle, in the 1860's the British NRA sponsored matches in the British Isles that were open to members of both the British Army and also the British militia.

The Naval Rifle and P-60 Army Short Rifle were acknowledged to be so accurate that 10% of their final score, in the matches, was automatically deducted so shooters using 3 band P-53 Enfields and other models of the Enfield "would be competing on a level playing field."