Description
Near fine original Civil War blockade run imported P53 Tower Enfield Rifled Musket with lock dated 1861 in caliber .577; missing slide on rear sight; very clear double “SHC” inspection stamps in the wood below trigger guard; 20th century added small “CS” stamp in wood in front of buttplate tang; very early import weapon to the Confederate States of America circa Fall of 1861. Excellent mechanically with a fine bore and crisp, strong markings overall. Original ramrod. This example is clearly one of the thousands imported by the South, which are far more rare than the typical Union imported counterpart.
This fine weapon bears the stamped markings of Sinclair, Hamilton and Company (SHC) who were Commission Merchants located at 11 St. Helens Place, London, England. The principal owner of SHC was Archibald Hamilton who was ALSO the chairman (president) of the London Armory Company (LAC) the makers of the finest rifles and pistols in England at the time. The Confederate central government signed a contract with SHC (Archibald Hamilton) in the
summer of 1861 shortly after Caleb Huse arrived in England. SHC received a 2.5% commission on all arms purchased and inspected for the Confederate
government and the contract would last for the entire American Civil War. Archibald Hamilton acted as the exclusive agent for Caleb Huse and the Confederate
government principally purchasing thousands of weapons in small lot quantities thru his contacts in the British gun trade.
