If you have not looked at it, see the thread at the top of the list on 'Managing the Enfield'.

I don't shoot a P.53 but friends I shot with at the weekend were getting good results from (I think) 63 grains of Swiss #4, when shooting at 100m.

My lube is one I found in a BPCR guide; 5 parts beeswax, 4 parts olive oil, and 1 part Crisco / Cookeen. It's worked well in a variety of conditions permitting 20 shots without cleaning.

David

The long rifle and short rifle have similar depth grooves in their progressive depth rifling. Not sure what you mean about the bullet slipping; it may be too small in diameter for your bore size?

David

It's a pleasure to be here fellows!  I'm on castboolits.com also as oldhickory, I had been with the NSSA shooting Original Enfields since the early 70s. Anyway here's a reply I gave to a fellow over at castboolits on his repro Enfield, (some of this may or may not apply to your PH). 

If the rifling is true to the original Enfield, it should be 1:78" which is right for the combat load of 70gr. 2F and a Minnie. Any accuracy problems these repros. incur usually are not the fault of the rifling twist, (if the Zouave Missionary has is a 1:70 something twist, the factory that made it didn't do a very good research job, Zouave's should have a 1:48 twist like most all other 2 band military rifles of the period).

O.k, let's put you on the road to 2" groups or better at 100yds. off the bench.

Step 1. Dismount the barrel and Acura-Glass the tang and breech face, and about 2" under the breech end of the barrel, (follow instructions carefully and don't forget to use generous amounts of release agent on the metal). Reassemble the rifle as it was, and let set horizonally for a day or two, and remember to mask the edges of the wood around the top. After a day or two, free the barrel and trim up the Acura-Glass to make a neat job.

Step 2. These repros don't have the best triggers, if you're familliar with the lock works, disassemble it and polish the bearing surfaces of the sear and tumbler, grease with heavy lube and reassemble.

Step 3. Shooting! (you've already sized the Minnie's to the bore, 001 under) I would start with 50gr. 3F and shoot for group, increase in 5gr. incriments until you have the best group at 50yds. The sights may be off, (this too can be corrected) just shoot for the best load/group. Any of my originals will shoot 1" at 50 and 2" at 100yds with the load they like, (usually around 50-55grs. 3F with the proper sized 575213 O.S. Minnie. Sub 2" groups at 100yds occasionally. For lube, I just use natural bees wax and Crisco, (NEVER use a petrolium based lube with a muzzle-loader!) Melt 1lb. bees wax in a pie pan and add Crisco until you get a hardened lube that you can "just" smear the littlest amount with a little finger warmth and pressure. Dip Minnies base first in the mix, up to the top ring and set asside to cool. Push through sizer and you have ready Minnies to load, I've never felt the need to fill the base cavity with lube as some shooters do.

The Lyman 575213O.S. isn't a true "Minnie", but rather a Burton bullet, designed by John Burton, master armourer at Harpers Ferry prior to the unpleasentness of 1861-1865.

4. So, what if it doesn't shoot to point of aim? There are "target" blank sights available for these muskets made of mild steel. Over sized front sights for elevation, (and slight windage adjustments) can be sweatted in place after the original front sight has been ground away, (I don't recomend this on origional guns! They usually shoot closer to P.O.A. than repos anyway). After sweatting the over sized front sight on, it can be filed to proper height and brought to point of impact. Also rear sight "blanks" are available and can be filed, drilled to meet your needs. The Enfield pattern rear sight can be filed flat across the front and a blank piece of mild steel sweatted to it and a new groove filed in to correct windage.

5. Cleaning. A mixture of 1pt. water, 1pt. alchohol, and 1pt. Murphys oil soap will break down powder fouling very nicely. Fold a patch and place over the nipple, let the hammer rest on it, and pour the cleaning mixture into the bore, (enough to fill the first few inches of the breech) and let stand for a few minutes. Use a breech scraper and scrape the fouling from the breech plug face, ( a proper cleaning rod for the .58 rifle-musket will accomplish this job much easier than using the ramrod and worm). With a clean patch on the jag, guide it all the way down to the 2" or so of liquid cleaner at the breech and pull back up and discard, dump the cleaner from the bore and wipe until clean, oil and store.


I've used an original Windsor Enfield, 1855 Harpers Ferry rifle, 1861-63 Springfields, and even an 1862 Fayettville rifle with 55gr. 3F powder and a 575213 O.S. for both white tails and groundhogs. The wound channel is very simmiler to that of a 30/06 with 180gr. sporting ammunition...No wonder there are so many graves at the battlefields.


Sizing the 575213 O.S. Minnie's and properly lubracating them as I said above, you shouldn't have to swab or even brush out the barrel. I've shot up to 50 rds. at a time with absolutly no fouling problems, or deterioration in accuracy, (probably could have gone several hundred rds). The grooves on the Lyman 575213 aren't just there to hold lube, they're also scraping groves, they remove fouling from shot to shot...Trust the bullet to do it's job, it's a good one.


I hope this helps.

Hi Gents !:
I've just buy an original Enfield , and I should like to try with the David recomended lube, but What's "Crisco/cokeen" ???
I usually lube my Minié bullets with 65% beeswax 35% lard and it works quite good but... who knows !!

Thanks in advance

Hi there , I know this has nothing to do with grease .
Does any one has any idea about the tension of the bands on the 1853.
I have bedded the barrel in boneglue at four places : the tang and the tree bands.
The fact is this : the middle band of my rifle moves forward with every shot.
My rifle shoots some times very nice groops and some times the shots are all over the target.

Regarding the 'cooking oil' for bullet lube:
I think every animal oil/lard has been used, consider the 'sperm oil','bear oil', etc. and I think 'goose grease' would be great, ie, just try to get it off your fingers. The downside is that they will go rancid with heat/time.
The veg-based oils are more stable, and olive oil is the 'sweet oil' of the past, if I remember correctly. The old 'rapeseed oil' is now canola oil; it was a favorite of old time gunsmiths in this country (US) as a working oil for tools. The more contemporary 'peanut oil' (think-turkey fryer) has a higher flash point than most others. Soybean and corn oil based cooking oils are the standard for restaurant use.
Any and all of these will make a decent lube when mixed with beeswax as a stiffener for the temps you are in, tho I prefer those with the highest flash points (only because it appeals to my sense of logic, I have NO scientific reason).

I have corrected the updated link in the other thread. You can access the article at: http://www.researchpress.co.uk/firearms/british/enfield/management.htm

David