ive  got a shiny new loyalist arms Model 1835 conversion the locks action  smooth and crisp    the wood work is descent the wood its self  appears to be walnut but proabily  isn't and diminsonaly is close to my 1842   all in all worth the cost.....   as a minor  complant the shipping cost's are a bit steep  and "In stock" means a 5 week wait for finishing and assembly        BTW   the Middlesex Village enfield the one ive seen is a .58 cal smoothbore

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GrumpyDave wrote : The first rifle I bought, comming into the hobby, was a repop Enfield. Then, I started looking at and handling originals. The work was too much and the cost was too great to try to get it where I wanted, for what I wanted to do. Finally, frustration set in and I swapped it for a de-farbed Springfield. And, for a guy who does some gunsmith work and some serious gunstock refinishing as another "hobby," I must say, I thought it was just not cost effective to try to get that Enfield to look like an original, they were way to different. (for details, see the authentic-cmpaigner website) That being said. I don't know anyone who owns any brand of repro Enfield who isn't happy with the way it preforms in the field. As a Sergeant, I see less mis-fires with Enfields. I always hear how much easier they are to clean and maintain from the guys who own them. Your best answer is going to come from someone who owns one. Remember, always, you get what you pay for. I guess I was no help in making your purchase, was I? BTW, if you stick a dry patch around the tulip end of an Enfield rammer and shove it down a dry gun barrel and sometimes a wet gun barrel, nearly every time, baaaad things happen.

You are so VERY right. I had that happen at an event, and had to bring the rifle to a gunsmith and pay $ 30.00 to get the ramrod removed....I am very careful to use the right size of cleaning patch now.......

This discussion is very interesting, confusing and helpful all at the same time.  Being new to reenacting (joined in January & attended my first national event at Mill Springs) I've amassed much of what I need for my kit except for my rife & bayonet. (That's to my company I've a loaner that is serving me well.)

I intend to begin seriously looking toward that purchase between now and Christmas a appreciate ALL of the viewpoints being expressed.

Another thing to consider is parts availability. If something breaks how easy will it be to get repaired. If it is one of the more common Armi Sport or Euroarms, it is usually fairly easy to get the parts for them. I don't know about other makes. Just food for thought.

I again express appreciation for the input and discussion regarding on this subject.

Does anyone know the main differences between Euro or Armi models?  I'm serious about looking now for my rife but also have to be consious of the costs without going too cheap!

This may be nothing more than coincidence.  It also involves cavalry weapons, so this comment may not apply to what you have in mind.  Nonetheless, this calendar year we have had one heck of a lot of mainsprings break in Armi Sport Sharps.

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hamiltonjoe1950 wrote : I again express appreciation for the input and discussion regarding on this subject. Does anyone know the main differences between Euro or Armi models?  I'm serious about looking now for my rife but also have to be consious of the costs without going too cheap!

There are fans of both. For what it's worth I have an Armi Sport 1861 Springfield that was reworked by Zimmerman so there was a lot of work put into it before I got it.

Greetings,

Here is an e-mail I recieved from Loyalist Arms regarding the early model Enfield smoothbore.

Hello Matt

Thanks for your email.

Our smoothbores are fully functioning firearms made to fire live ammo ( ball and
black powder) & blank firing, the touch whole is drilled. The frizzens have excellent spark..
Replacement parts are available.
We warranty all moving parts for 6 months free replacement & labor, and all springs are warranted for one year.

We do provide the proofing and load data for our firearms.

Re 1853 Enfield load data:

We recommend you proof test the barrel with a charge of 125 grains of FFG BLACKPOWDER ONLY and a patched ball. We strongly recommend when you proof test the barrel; do not fire it from your shoulder, but in a proper fixture. All muzzle loading firearms should be proof tested.

The recommended charge is 60 grains FFG black powder or less with a ball.
For blank loads, heavier charges can be used.

The caliber is .62 and I would recommend using a patched ball of .600, should you decide to fire live ammo and not blanks.
Musket uses musket caps. Nipple thread size is 8x1.25mm.
 

Hope this helps.

Matthew S. Alexander

  Hallo!

 IMHO...

 The reason the Indian arms are "smoothbore" is that the original market was intended to be European countries like England where they are allowed a shotgun but not a rifle (and use their "paperwork" and local police approval for a "modern" shotgun to have a smoothbore CW era arm  (some Engish events having allowed the use of modern shotguns while the lads used to have to rely on just waiting on the long list of Italian companies in special-ordering a smoothbore option).

  Curt

I do have one of the Middlesex Village 'Enfields'.

And it is smoothbore (they are made for the English reenacting trade thus they have to be smoothbore to meet legislative requirements) and its weight is pretty good.  I compares favorably with my orginal Bridesburg.

The one I got has a front sight that is not correct.  It is half moon shaped but at 25 yards with a bayonet attached nobody is going to know.

I bought it as my 'third' weapon (my primaty being a 61 Euroamrs Springfield and my second being a M40 .69) primarily because it was a good but.  Less than $375 with the bayonet.

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hamiltonjoe1950 wrote : Does anyone know the main differences between Euro or Armi models?

Tom,

If you ask fifty reenactors this question, you will get fifty different answers. I own an Armi Sport M-1861 Springfield, a Model 1842 and an Enfield. I also own a Euroarms low hump Richmond Arsenal rifle-musket and a Navy Arms Mississippi Rifle. (You can't get them anymore.)

This is my answer to your question. The Armi Sport M-1842 is about the most accurate, out of the box, repop you will find. (Unless you buy the 12th one they made, which was my mistake.) Their Enfield is easier to defarb than the Euroarms model. The M-1861 is the first rifle I purchased after I got into reenacting. It's a pain in the ass to clean, it starts misfiring after about twenty blank rounds and it's still my favorite rifle. It's also the most accurate live fire shooter of my rifle-muskets. The Euroarms Richmond is a better replica than the Armi Sport model, but the rifling is so bad, the thing might as well be a smooth bore. I purchased the Navy Arms Mississippi Rifle long before I got into the hobby. After twenty years, I've never had the occasion to use the thing at a reenactment, but it's a good shooter. (If I ever get the opportunity to portray a unit armed with rifles, I'm ready.)  

Lets hear from the other 49 guys!      

There is a Pedersoli 1816 Harper’s Ferry, an Armi Sport ‘42 with armory bright barrels.  Armory bright needs lots of attention in this coastal region.  The 1816 was taken to a pre-Creek Indian war event last August while a tropical storm was approaching.  The torrential rain had not arrived but the mist and intermittent sprinkles had.  That weather caused all of us to get an education on keeping the components of a flintlock firing system dry.  Misfires were the name of the game.  The 1816 is a fun gun but it requires good weather.  There is a Euro Mississippi Rifle, Armi Sport Musketoon, an !AB Sharps Carbine, and a Pedersoli Sharps Carbine.  Belonging to cav unit the IAB is carried most of the time.  Outside of being used at one memorial service, the Pedersoli Sharps has not been out of the house.  Yeah, I know, it needs a good ding in the stock for me to get over it being so pristine.  The Mississippi Rifle and Musketoon have been shot a good deal at a range.  As far as live fire is concerned, the little Musketoon is the most accurate of the ones that have been to the range.  Range firing was conducted off of a bench.  The Mississippi Rifle’s bayonet adaptors tried so far have not been precisely made.  This is the third one.  The problem is when that big awkward bayonet is  attached, the bayonet end is actually in front of the muzzle.  That ain’t good.  

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Curtis Makamson wrote :  The Mississippi Rifle’s bayonet adaptors tried so far have not been precisely made.  This is the third one.  The problem is when that big awkward bayonet is  attached, the bayonet end is actually in front of the muzzle.  That ain’t good.

Curtis,

Man, what a wimp! Just think, every time you shoot, you get two rounds going down range. What more could you ask?