Nepalese P1853 - good "shooter" prospect?

[DutchmanDick]

Well, I ordered a special breechplug wrench from DGW that is meant for plugs that are wedge-shaped (when you look at them straight from the rear) rather than parallel-sided. It might take a little heat, too. I squirted a fairly large amount of Break Free CLP down the bore, and hopefully after that sits a few days it will have penetrated the plug and nipple threads at least somewhat.

 

[DutchmanDick]

There are also index marks both top and bottom to help me get the plug aligned properly when it's time to re-install it, BTW.

 

[DutchmanDick]

Got my Enfield "Sergeant's tool" from Track of the Wolf today. The nipple wrench part of it cracked under just hand-pressure the first time I used it! So I have to pay return shipping in order to get a new one. Too bad, since it otherwise seems to be at least an OK quality tool, and has the right threads on the worm and ball-screw to screw onto my ramrod (once the threads have been cleaned up on the latter, that is). In the same order from TOTW I got a stainless 5/16" x 18-threaded nipple for #11 caps (my stainless square-shouldered musket cap nipple is on backorder).

 

[Rangerdog]

Glad to se some folks rec'd something they could use.

I was tempted to order one as a project. Definitely a roll-of-the dice, IMHO. The tip-off was "Enfield-type" in the description = definitely not made in jolly ole England! Thanks but no thanks.

For a NEW fool-around smoothbore shooter-wallhanger made-in-India copy, the price was $350.

v/r

Rangerdog

 

[DutchmanDick]

Well, it may not have been made in England, but it's close enough for me. If I want a smoothbore, I'll buy a gun that was MEANT to be a smoothbore and not a smooth-bored copy of a gun that was originally made as a rifle. Other than the markings being in Nepalese script rather than English, My gun is an excellent example of the 2nd-type P1853 Enfield, right down to the "flame" engraving on the hammer and the double-line border around the lockplate. I scrubbed some of the surface rust out of the bore yesterday, and from what I can see by shining a light down the barrel there are no deep pits, just some "frosting". You can still see machine-marks on the lands, even. Yeah, it's a dice-roll, but I came up a winner!

 

[DutchmanDick]

Well, I managed to get the old nipple out, Just a little bit of heat from a propane torch, and a pair of locking pliers, and it came out. The threads are a little rough in the nipple seat in the bolster, but good enough to screw the new nipple into and hold tightly. Now, if I could only get the #^!*@ breechplug wrench that is backordered from Dixie Gunworks.....

 

[DutchmanDick]

BTW, is anyone familiar enough with the P1853 Enfield to tell me what the difference was between the "sergeant's tool" and the "private's tool" that was an accessory screwdriver/nipple wrench combo tool that was an accessory for these guns?

Found out the "sergeant's tool" and the "private's tool" are identical except for one thing: the sergeant's tool has a built-in mainspring clamp.