An unusual detail about the above-cited rifle is the state of finish on the metal. The surface is rust-pitted and brushed more or less bright, but when the bands were removed, the metal underneath was seen to be smooth and bright originally. Then the barrel was unstocked and on closer look it could be seen that the original finish was definitely Enfield-style, rust-browned or blacked. The bands, too, showed heat blue tints inside.
But the underside of the barrel definitely wasbright and had been struck bright long ago—so long
ago that the top part, unprotected, had again weathered dull and rough.
The inference here may be that this rifle during the Civil War was put into "serviceable" shape by some armory unit—whether Confederate or Union cannot be determined—and this included polishing the barrel again to conform to the current standard since it was probably impracticable to reblack the barrel in the state of the emergency. If the gun had shown better condition, one might assume that those "cleaned & repaired" Enfields offered for sale after the war were also struck up "national armory bright." But this gun definitely shows use and field abuse after the polishing.
It was picked up by a Union soldier after the retreat of Confederate forces.
Generalizations on the basis of one specimen are absurd; but often a good guess will be corroborated
later by wider study of the subject, once the student of arms learns what he might be looking for. Certainly, in categorizing and typing the wide number of variations among Enfields, possession of a specimen different from all others you own does not mean you have some rare, unique prize. More often than not, any generalizations you may infer from the arm you possess will apply equally to some tens of thousands of others, substantially identical, to what you may now construe to be a "rarity."
But the underside of the barrel definitely wasbright and had been struck bright long ago—so long
ago that the top part, unprotected, had again weathered dull and rough.
The inference here may be that this rifle during the Civil War was put into "serviceable" shape by some armory unit—whether Confederate or Union cannot be determined—and this included polishing the barrel again to conform to the current standard since it was probably impracticable to reblack the barrel in the state of the emergency. If the gun had shown better condition, one might assume that those "cleaned & repaired" Enfields offered for sale after the war were also struck up "national armory bright." But this gun definitely shows use and field abuse after the polishing.
It was picked up by a Union soldier after the retreat of Confederate forces.
Generalizations on the basis of one specimen are absurd; but often a good guess will be corroborated
later by wider study of the subject, once the student of arms learns what he might be looking for. Certainly, in categorizing and typing the wide number of variations among Enfields, possession of a specimen different from all others you own does not mean you have some rare, unique prize. More often than not, any generalizations you may infer from the arm you possess will apply equally to some tens of thousands of others, substantially identical, to what you may now construe to be a "rarity."
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