Just aquired an Armi-Sport 58 cal 1853 Enfield 3 band rifle-Need info please!

[Terryrm1-03]

Hi Guys my buddy just found an 1853 Enfield ARMI-SPORT (CHIPPUA???) in a attic of a rental house. He gave it to me as he knew I like muzzleloaders.
Well I like em, but don't know much about this guy.
It takes some sort of larger Primer cap.
Its 58 Cal
Can't get the nipple out, much larger than my Renegades nipple wrench etc.
Where do I get a nipple wrench? Or can I use a socket of some sort.
Its in GREAT-EXCELLENT condition! What size bore to get BOOLLITS? Just dying to shoot this thing!
Any help here would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!
Thanks Terry
PS anyone have some caps I could buy from them and BOOLITS!

[fouronesix]

Being an Enfield (Brit pattern) it should shoot Miniés designed for the .577 cal. It should also shoot patched roundballs well. Normal charge for standard .577/58 cal Minié is about 50-60 gr FF blackpowder. I'd start about the same for a patched roundball. It should have a slow twist bore (about 72") so will require a Minié- not a solid base conical. The current P53 Armi Sport Enfields are listed with a 48" twist so might shoot a solid base conical OK. You can run a tight patch down the barrel to measure. But should do best with a Minié of good design out of near pure/soft lead.

The nipple will likely be one for a standard musket cap. It requires a larger musket sized nipple wrench. Track of the Wolf sells accoutrements for them. It is Italian made so may have a metric nipple. Check out Track's website for nipple wrench and for a new nipple listed for the Armi-Sport (Chiappa) Enfield musket. It would be a good idea to get an extra nipple and replace the factory one that is likely on it.

Do a google search for sources for musket caps. Check Graf & Powder Inc. There are others. All percussion caps are like 22rf ammo- supplies are hit or miss and have been tight.

[Terryrm1-03]

Being an Enfield (Brit pattern) it should shoot Miniés designed for the .577 cal. It should also shoot patched roundballs well. Normal charge for standard .577/58 cal Minié is about 50-60 gr FF blackpowder. I'd start about the same for a patched roundball. It should have a slow twist bore (about 72") so will require a Minié- not a solid base conical. The current P53 Armi Sport Enfields are listed with a 48" twist so might shoot a solid base conical OK. You can run a tight patch down the barrel to measure. But should do best with a Minié of good design out of near pure/soft lead.

The nipple will likely be one for a standard musket cap. It requires a larger musket sized nipple wrench. Track of the Wolf sells accoutrements for them. It is Italian made so may have a metric nipple. Check out Track's website for nipple wrench and for a new nipple listed for the Armi-Sport (Chiappa) Enfield musket. It would be a good idea to get an extra nipple and replace the factory one that is likely on it.

Do a google search for sources for musket caps. Check Graf & Powder Inc. There are others. All percussion caps are like 22rf ammo- supplies are hit or miss and have been tight.
Thanks for the info, what size roundball with pillow ticking should I use?

[dromia]

Do a search, these Italians are based on the original Parker Hale 1970s P53 family tooling and there are quiet a few posts on here about the Enfield rifled musket reproduction guns.

[fouronesix]

I use .560-.562 roundballs for the .577 and .58 cal rifle muskets. Different ticking will vary as to thickness. Ticking or any tight weave cotton cloth will work. Just have to experiment with patching for best fit.

[Good Cheer]

With that brand it is not unusual to have a slightly oversized bore and sometimes shallower rifling than is normal for minie ball barrels. Have seen that to be the case with both .58 and .69 caliber rifled barrels.
Won't matter with patched round ball but can be a royal pain with finding a minie that works well.

By the way... congrads on a great find!
I only have one Chiappas Armisport musket these days and I love it!

[carbine]

Use a minie 1-2 thousandths under bore size. Determine bore size with plug guage, or an oversized minie gently tapped into muzzle. Go to N-ssa.org bulletin board for more discussions on Muskets

[Terryrm1-03]

Thanks GUYS for the info!
That's all I need to get started!
Terry

[Southron]

Well...I suggest you get some RWS Musket Caps as the CCI Musket Caps cause a lot of mis-fires. Here are some Tutorials...

If you want Match Winning Accuracy here is what you do:

http://www.n-ssa.org/NATIONAL/CONTRIB/bagdon.html

If the Trigger Pull is too heavy, here is how to do a Lock Job:

http://www.nwtskirmisher.com/useful-locks.shtml

If you have any further questions, just go to the N-SSA Bulletin Board and ask it:

www.n-ssa.org/

Wearing a cartridge box, cap box and using made up cartridges you should be able to get off two or three rounds per minute and with excellent accuracy.

By the way, a deer hit solidly with a .577 Minie Ball goes down like he was hit by a freight train. The Minie Ball has it all over round balls for range and "knock down power."

GOOD LUCK!!!

[dromia]

Here is one of my Parker Hale P53s having a work out at the range yesterday.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Felton%2026%20march%202015/Felton%20Kar%2088%20004.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Felton%2026%20march%202015/Felton%20Kar%2088%20003.jpg

[Southron]

If you don't cast,Pat Kaboski sells Minie Balls. What you need is one that is approximately TWO THOUSANDTH OF AN INCH UNDER YOUR BORE DIAMETER.

A decent machine shop will have a set of Plug Gauges that you can use to determine your true bore diameter-then Pat will size your bullets for your Enfield. Ask him what bullet you should shoot in your Enfield:

http://www.lodgewood.com/Bullets_c_7.html

[Southron]

Be aware you CANNOT use modern smokeless powder in your Enfield. Loading the gun with smokeless powder would turn it into a grenade that will blow up in your face!

Use ONLY real black powder like GOEX, Swiss Black Powder, Schutzen or one of the "Replica Black Powders" like Pyrodex.

Muzzleloaders are often put away loaded, so double check with the ramrod and make sure your Enfield is not loaded.

I recommend REAL black powder. Somewhere between 40 and 50 grains of FFFg GOEX black powder will produce your most accurate load. Here are a couple of other tips:

1. Always wear eye protection and hearing protection when shooting your Enfield.

2. Make sure your percussion caps are seated fully down on the nipple....otherwise the cap might fragment on you.

3. ALWAYS make sure the Minie Ball is seated FULLY DOWN on the powder charge. Firing your Enfield WITH the Minie BAll lodged somewhere in the bore above the powder charge will either cause the barrel to bulge (ruining it) or cause a catastrophic failure of the barrel [it blows up!]

4. When reloading your Enfield, leave the spent cap on the nipple until the barrel is loaded with the charge and Minie Ball for the next shot. Never allow the muzzle to point at any part of your body when you are reloading;

THEN AFTER the barrel is loaded, then take off the old, spent percussion cap and put a new cap on the nipple.

* Note: The reason you leave the old cap down on the nipple after the gun is fired is because it stops fresh air from traveling down the flash channel and keeping a smoldering ember burning in the breech. IF you dump a powder charge on a smoldering ember, you will get a "Cook Off" which is a BAD THING!

5. Always get in the habit of cleaning your Enfield immediately after shooting it.Otherwise the powder fouling will cause your bore to rust. The best black powder solvent is HOT, SOAPY WATER followed by hot plain water. Then dry your barrel and oil it.

NOW, GO AND HAVE FUN WITH YOUR ENFIELD!!!!

[Terryrm1-03]

Finally got to shoot her! I used 65grs of 777. A .570 round ball and a regular cleaning patch for ticking. I gave up on the musket caps, and found that Track of the wolf sells the same nipple using #11 caps. TADA! I've got thousands of #11's, from all of my old rendezvous days. The sight on this Enfield is 6" to 10" high. I was shooting milk jugs at 100yds and had to aim at 6 o'clock to get a BIG SPLASH hit! She is FUN to shoot! Don't like the steel ramrod though. I know what worn out muzzles do.
Anyway it was finally a great day! Thanks to you guys and your help on this. Now I want to figure out Minies for it!
Thanks again TerryR

[Good Cheer]

Sounds great!
Recently picked up one of the same model and I'm chompin' at the bit to make smoke.

[Terryrm1-03]

Anyone have a Minie ball larger than .577?
Want to slug my barrel.
Thanks Terry
tr-br1@hotmail.com

[mooman76]

If you already have one you can set it on end and tap it with a hammer enough to enlarge it.

[Good Cheer]

Perhaps use a 1/2" dowel beneath the minie.
Pre-screw the puller into the minie and use it to tap it into being larger and filling the rifling.
About the same as checking the chamber and throat in the rifle.

[Good Cheer]

By the way, what boolit design is good in the slower twist of the P53's for out past 200 yards?
Did the Pritchet smooth sided paper patched boolits work at longer ranges?