I have just got started . H OW DO YOU TELL THE AGE by seareal number?

This is guido again .Can I use round ball in my whitworth .445 ?

In your first post you asked about telling the age from serial number. Were you asking about original rifles or Parker-Hale (or other) reproductions?

David

A friend of mine have buyed an original With , and the numbers are :

An original .451" cal. Whitworth rifle - the barrel length is 33" - stocked to within 3 1/8" of the muzzle. The barrel is stamped E683 which indicates a date of manufacture between February and May of 1863. The Barrel has Birmingham proof marks and 52 stamped at the breech. Engraved behind the rear sight is WHITWORTH PATENT. The forsight is dovetailed into the muzzle of the barrel. The bore is in very good condition. The barrel has no provision for a bayonet. The lock is engraved MANCHESTER ORDNANCE AND RIFLE CO. and behind the hammer is engraved the typical crown and wheatsheaf with W below. The inside of the lock is numbered 630, the tumbler is fitted with a detent. The hammer is numbered 683. The stock is of good quality walnut and is chequered at the wrist and forend and numbered 683. 16 is stamped into the woodwork behind the trigger guard. The stock is in very good condition without splits or cracks. Some minor bruising in places, The trigger guard, trigger and trigger plate are numbered 548. The trigger guard is engraved 2nd quality. The rear barrel band is stamped 548. There are no markings on the front barrel band. Even though the serial numbers are miss-matched; this rifle is completely original with the exception of the ramrod and sling swivel. There is no original finish on the metal work.
                                                                                                                                                        That information it´s for Bill Curtis records, if it´s interesting for him . Ah ! this rifle is in Spain now  .                                    

Regards                                          

Pistolero wrote on Nov 27^th, 2007 at 6:20pm:


The criteria that Whitworth had to work to when working on firearms was the War Office requirement for service charge of 70 grains and bullet weight of 530 grains. Of course, what was used in the USA during the Civil War was outside of these constraints.

David

I remember at the museum at the bottom of the Tennessee State Capital building they had a Whitworth in the Civil War section. It had a scope on it too.