The 1853 Enfield rifle ( Eng. Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifled Musket , also known as the Pattern 1853 Enfield, P53 Enfield or Enfield Rifled Musket) is a small arms , .577 caliber rifle that was created in the British Empire and was used by it from 1853 to 1867 year. The Enfield rifle was loaded with Pritchett bullets (a simplified version of the Mignier bullet ) .577 caliber through the barrel; after 1867, many of the rifles were redone for loading with unitary cartridges and were renamed Snyder-Anfield .
| 1853 Anfield rifle | |
|---|---|
 1853 Enfield Rifled Musket | |
| Type of | rifle |
| A country |  |
| Service History | |
| Adopted | |
| Wars and conflicts | Crimean War Civil War in the USA Bosin War New Zealand Wars |
| Production history | |
| Constructor | RSAF Enfield |
| Designed by | 1853 |
| Manufacturer | |
| Years of production | 1853-1867 |
| Total released | approximately 1,500,000 |
| Options | Carbine |
| Specifications | |
| Weight kg | 4.3 uncharged |
| Length mm | 1400 |
| Caliber mm | .577 (15 mm), Minnie type bullet |
| Work principles | capsule lock |
| Rate of fire rounds / min | up to 3 [1] [2] [3] |
| starting speed bullets , m / s | 270 m / s |
| Sighting range , m | 300 yards (274.3 m) |
| Maximum range, m | 2,000 yards (1,828.8 m) |
| Type of ammunition | charge through the barrel |
| Aim | fixed sights: adjustable rear sight and non-adjustable front sight |
The enlistment of the British colonial forces in India by Anfield's 1853 capsule rifle served as the last impetus to the sepoy uprising brewing in 1857 - due to the fact that the shell paper was allegedly saturated with pork and cow fat, which was unacceptable to Muslims and for Hindus , as the former cannot eat pigs as unclean animals, and the latter as cows (as sacred animals ). Before loading the rifle, the paper cartridge had to be bitten and the gunpowder was poured into the barrel, then the bullet was rammed and blotted with oiled paper from the shell of the cartridge [4] .
During the American Civil War, rifles were purchased from British authorities by American resellers, including New York-based companies and Tiffany & Co. then sold to the federal and state governments [5] [6]
Notes
- ↑ The Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle
- ↑ Rifles & Muskets: From 1450 to the present day
- ↑ Colburn's United Service Magazine and Naval and Military Journal
- ↑ Headrick, 1981 , p. 88.
- ↑ Congressional series of United States public documents
- ↑ Edwards, William . Civil War Guns. - Harrisburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 1962. - P. 255.
Literature
Daniel R. Headrick. The Tools of Empire: Technology and European Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century. - 1st Edition. - Oxford University Press, 1981. - 232 p. - ISBN 0195028325 .