� �Here is a piece of history: a P1853 3-bander with solid bands that has been cut down.� The barrel is 26 � inches.� Survey marks are on the stock and barrel.� Also a BO, Bureau of Ordnance, with single arrow mark is on the stock.� �Any special implication to the BO mark?�
� ��RP� is one of the various marks in the ramrod channel.� Anyone know RP?
� �The lock is marked Tower 1855.� Inside the lock plate is marked Brazier, J. Brazier & Son, received a contract for 3,900 locks for the first 20,000 contracted P/53s.� It appears and feels to be a very well made lock.� �
� �There is a T inside an ellipse stamped across the juncture of the top of the tang and the barrel.� Any idea as to what that mark means?� �
� �The bottom of the barrel is marked �W. Millward�.� William Millward was one of the original barrel makers contracted under the BO�s order� O/411 of 6 October 1853 for the procurement of parts for 20,000 P/53s.� The same as Brazier was for locks.� �Millward�s portion was 3000 barrels.
� �At the bottom rear of the barrel I find these marks in differing places and sizes: �KEEN�,� �46�, �J-M� and then some odd looking marks that are also found on the lock and stock �IVI� which appear to have been done with a chisel and where the leading� �I� is pronouncedly slanted just like the leading edge of the following �V.�� �The following �I� is straight up as one would expect .� Anyone have any thoughts about this?� �
� �If it went to India/Nepal� I�m wondering where the rifle was cut down.� Was it by the Bureau of Ordinance before it was sold?�
� �I�ve included two pictures: one of the rifle as a whole and one of the proof marks.� There is a survey mark and two Birmingham proofs as you would expect, but there are other marks there as well that are unknown to me.� �Any help in interpreting the marks would be appreciated.� �

� �I�ll put the picture of the rifle in a �Continuation� post.

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I've decided it's time to do something about the barrel of the P/53 pictured above.� The barrel is belled at the muzzle and accuracy is non-existent.

One way I have considered going is to simply have the barrel relined following the Naval Rifle form of rifling.� That means I will have a 26 1/2 inch barrel and I don't like that, but this approach makes minimum mods to the rifle as it currently exists.� �The barrel would be 2 1/2 inches longer than a musketoon.

A second approach which would probably produce a more accurate rifle would be to have the barrel relined and lengthed to 30 1/2 inches with Naval style rifling.� That means the barrel will be cut back to the mid-point of the upper barrel band and a new extention will be welded on to increase the length to 30 1/2 inches.� The front of the chopped off barrel has already been monkeyed with as a Wesley Richards like sight has been welded on and the barrle has a blue cast for the first 3 or 4 inches.

In both approaches I would be leaving the existing stock as is.� The 30 1/2 inch length keeps the proportions of barrel length to forestock length consistent with that of 33 inch barreled rifles (which of course have a longer forestock).

You thoughts and opinions would be appreciated as I formulate my instructions to tell my gunsmith what to do.

If you think extending the barrel an additional 4 inches over its current length wouldn't buy me much improvement in accuracy I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts.� 100 to 200 yard accuracy is all that I'm hoping to get.

Pat in Virginia

Pat.....Have you thought of a complete re-barrel job?  A new barrel would probably cost you the same amount of $ that you are going to pay your gunsmith for the modification [still with no guarantee it will shoot well!] The civil war re-enactor sites would probably be the place to check for enfield barrels etc. Let us know what you decide.  [I just love projects!]   cheers  Paul

I suspect that given your 200yd. range criteria the longer sight radius might be the only real advantage.
If I recall correctly, in Ned Robert's book "The Muzzleloading Caplock Rifle" a number of the match rifles had barrels close to yours as is.