December 16, 17, & 18, 2020 Field & Range Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/16/2020
English smoothbore percussion cavalry carbine with sling bar and swivel ramrod intended for issue to Indian mounted police. Based upon the East India Pattern 1856 rifled cavalry carbine, this smoothbore variant was adopted in 1858 and incorporates a fixed rear sight instead of the P1856’s multi-leaf rear sight. Blued barrel with British military proof marks at breech, color case hardened lock marked “1866/ENFIELD” with “(Crown)-(Broad Arrow)” government ownership mark and “(Crown) / VR” at tail. Brass furniture, walnut stock. Baddeley Patent screw clamping barrel bands with Enfield inspection marks, sling bar, sling ring and swivel ramrod with Enfield inspection marks as well. Toe of stock marked “J LEADBETER”. Obverse butt stamped with Enfield roundel that reads “-R (Crown) M- ENFIELD” around a “(Crown)/GS/M” in the center. Stock additionally marked in the style of RSAF sealed pattern guns with stamp markings that read: “MOUNTED POLICE CARBINE FOR E.I.Gt. .656” and dated “17/12/58”, the date of the sealed pattern adoption. Stock is further marked “77/22/743” and “8321 P”. The gun is additionally numbered “360” behind the trigger guard. Although the lack of actual RSAF wax seals indicate that this is not an official “sealed pattern” gun, the other markings suggest that this is an official sample gun, possibly provided to a foreign government or submitted to some other entity as a sample or archival example. A really wonderful example of an Indian service carbine practically never found in this excellent state of preservation. CONDITION: Fine. Retains most of the original military rust blue on the barrel with some thinning and fading, mixing with a plum patina. Barrel bands with much of their bright nitre blued finish. Lock with nearly all of the mottled case colored coverage but dulling and fading with only some traces of vibrance. All markings in metal and wood crisp and clear. Brass with an attractive golden rod patina. Lock and swivel ramrod mechanically functional. Smooth bore fine and bright with some lightly scattered frosting, old grease and some flecks of oxidation. Wood very crisp with fine edges and showing only some light handling marks, minor dents and surface mars. A thin coat of old Cosmoline is present on some of the surface. TP
Item Dimensions: L - 37"
Caliber/Bore
16 Bore / .65 Caliber
Model
Pattern 1858 East Indian Mounted Police Carbine