P53 Enfield vs 1861 Springfield?

[Old Sandman 71]

I side with AlexanderA.
If you can land a '55 you'll probably find it easier to sight not only because of the greater drop in the stock, but because the long range sight is located farther forward al-la Enfield style. The '61 and '63's have the single or double sight leaves that allow you limited elevation adjustment.
Oh, just a note from a retired reenactor, Springfields in the white are notoriously hard to keep that way when stacked on a color line on dewy nights! If you're going to do some reenacting you had better plan to do a lot of burnishing with ashes out the fire pit!
RIG works well too as a rust preventative.

 

[Mike OTDP]

First, I'd recommend a two-band rifle-musket for a shooter. P58, Mississippi, etc. They are a lot better balance than a three-band musket. Check the North-South Skirmish Ass'n BB and ask around, you should be able to pick up a match-tuned musket used at a reasonable price.

Of the two, I'd tend to a Springfield...mostly because I can replace the rear sight blade with a blank that can be drilled for a peep sight. I'm getting too old to mess with open sights.

Now, as to cleaning...The normal drill, especially if the barrel is not glass-bedded, is as follows:
1. Remove ramrod
2. Loosen tang screw
3. Remove barrel bands
4. Remove tang screw
5. Remove nipple. Scrub with brush. Wipe dry, blow touchhole dry, set aside.
6. Run a patch soaked in cleaning solution down the barrel to get out the worst of the fouling.
7. Put breech end of barrel in a container of cleaning solution. I use about 10% Simple Green, but there's a long list of favorite cleaners. A 5-gallon bucket works nicely, or a 5-lb plastic coffee container. Take a patch on your cleaning rod, pump up and down. 30 strokes.
8. Repeat step 6, examine patch to see if barrel is clean. If not, repeat step 7 with clean water.
9. Run patches down barrel until dry.
10. Run an oiled patch down barrel. I use Ballistol. Wipe outside of barrel with oiled patch. Wipe barrel bands with oiled patch.
11. Wipe external surfaces of lock with oiled patch. Don't remove the lock unless it was rained on. Do remove and oil the lock every 6 months or so.
12. Replace nipple.
13. Reassemble musket. Tighten the tang screw to the same point is was when removed.
14. Wipe down ramrod, oil ramrod, replace it.
15. Store musket safely.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Thanks for the cleaning tips! Surprisingly little information about this online.

I am in the process of reading The Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle by Peter Smithhurst. The history of this rifle musket is most interesting! I would like to find some literature on the Springfield 1861 or Springfield rifle muskets in general.

I want to have as much information as humanly possible before choosing one of these guns.

 

[AlexanderA]

First, I'd recommend a two-band rifle-musket for a shooter. P58, Mississippi, etc. They are a lot better balance than a three-band musket.

Maybe, but three-banders are preferred for reenacting, because that's what most troops carried. Two-banders are considered "farby" for most CW impressions. Keep this in mind if you ever want to take up the reenacting hobby. (The two-banders, if they are adapted for a bayonet at all, generally use a sword bayonet instead of the standard socket bayonet.)

 

[Panzerschwein]

Maybe, but three-banders are preferred for reenacting, because that's what most troops carried. Two-banders are considered "farby" for most CW impressions. Keep this in mind if you ever want to take up the reenacting hobby. (The two-banders, if they are adapted for a bayonet at all, generally use a sword bayonet instead of the standard socket bayonet.)

Yes, I am wanting the 3-band variety as I hear it was much more common than any 2-band rifles during the U.S. Civil War.

 

[TOOT44]

3 band enfield

I consider it to be as straight as a broom, no graceful lines. jmhp.