2-Band 1864 Dated BRITISH Pattern 1853 ENFIELD Infantry RIFLE-MUSKET .577 Commercial British Proofs with “1864” Date! Enfield Pattern 1853 Two Band Commercially Proofed Rifle-Musket, made in 1859 in England. The P1853 was the British Military Ordnance Board’s choice for adoption as the primary long arm in 1853. It was considered the apex European military gun of that time, introduced by the British War Department after several studies to improve the calibers and the dimensions of the previous models. However, it kept the same general appearance of the earlier pattern 1851. The Enfield 1853 commercially proofed rifle-muskets were also used by both the North and the South in the American Civil War. It was the second most widely used infantry weapon in the war, surpassed only by the Springfield Model 1861 Rifled Musket. The Confederates imported more Enfields during the course of the war than any other small arm, buying from private contractors and gun runners. It has been estimated that over 900,000 P1853 Enfields were imported into America and saw service in every major engagement of the war. The overall condition is good. The action is strong. The bore is good. The stock is solid. This one bears commercial proofs on the left side of the barrel. The lock is dated “1864” with the British royal crown cipher at the tail barely visible. Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.