Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Oh, David Burt has it (The Civil War Musket). We have been doing a bit of Trans-Atlantic corresponding, and working together on some publishing projects.

[Todd Watts]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Come to think about it, early last year or maybe the year before I defarbbed a smooth-bored Enfield shipped to me/BRi from Loyalist Arms which was then shipped overseas someplace. It turned out really nice. It may have been one headed for the UK.

[DBURT]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Patrick,
I have sent you a PM.

Dave Burt

[DBURT]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Ok, problem solved. Bought an Armi Sport Enfield from Dixie Gun works ( Smoothbore) had it shipped to Blockade runner for Todd to defarb.
It works out more expensive, but at least I'll get my "Barnett"
So, for any Brits out there this is the best option. You will have to get the smoothbore version to get it on your shotgun cert, unless you hold a firearms cert.
It's worth the hassle though to get a Watts defarb. Thanks to Patrick Reardon of the Lazy Jacks for the advice.


Dave Burt, ACWS, England.
Author " Major Caleb Huse C.S.A. and S Isaac Campbell & Co"

[rad2duhbone53]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Hello All,

Sent Todd my 'Parker Hale' Enfield that I never use, bought it 4-5 years ago but was not to realistic looking , he stripped it , blued it removed all modern and incorrect markings, re-finihed it and added correct stamps and barrel markings, it is un-recognizable fom the musket I sent him.I am very pleased with the work and craftmanship and can't say enough for Todd's courteous service, updates and fast 4 week turn around.

I agree... I saw this rifle last week. Beautiful workmanship. I almost drooled on the rifle. Saving some $$$ for my enfield; then I'll send it to Todd.

Harry Paige
Fresh Fish

[jppard]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

My Parker Hale is in Todd's shop at the present time. Not sure which to go with but I'm leaning towards a London defarb. Do any one have pictures of their Barnett or LA conversions to share?

J.M. Perry
Jppard

10 VA Co B
7th VA USA
1st New York (Stevenson Regiment)
CO D/I and C
Guarding the California Coast
1846 to 1852

[DBURT]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Mr Perry,

I think my "Barnett" is the first in the queue to be made. But I hope Todd will post pictures of it when it is done to share with everyone.

Dave Burt, England.

[jppard]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Me too! I've narrowed down to either the Barnett or the L.A. Mr. Burt thanks for the information about Civil War in the UK. I hope to be falling in with you guys for an event next year. I'll have to figure a way to bring in my defarbed Enfield.

J.M. Perry
Jppard

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

I picked up a P53 de-farbed by another well known gunsmith on the cheap, which is not bad overall but not entirely correct either. He left the bands with the case colors on them (?) but with a polished lock and barrel; I took care of that. And of course, the broad arrow, VR and WD stamps, identifying this one as a British army weapon with no US Civil War provenance. Nice and deep, too. I am not going to jump infront of anybody so I guess it will be about 2012 before I can get Wattsy to do a little detail work? Frankly, it might need a new lock plate entirely as the master gunsmith heavy handedly ground this plate down so far that the single line engraving is gone in places (he did not bother to double line engrave it either) and then he pounded those farby British govt insp marks deeply into the metal. I think it will need a new lock plate. The Enfield is an older A-C with the screw head in the backside of the lock plate for a mainspring rest, serial number 16xxx.

Wattsy:
Have you got any older A-C (armi) P53 lock plates lying around that you can Tower mark and I can transfer the parts onto? Oh and I need you to put a brass sight blade on my new 1842 front band when you get a chance. I want you to note how I shaped the ramrod tip on that one for future reference, it was not that hard to do.

By the way, how was the artillery demo at Chickamauga in the rain?

[Todd Watts]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

I do happen to have a couple of Armi plates I could use, or could weld-over and re-finish the plate you have. Or better yet, Mr. Smith might let you have one of his brand new items I just got from him last night. He has a machinish making nice-looking plates with really good 2-line borders made to fit Armis. I have to check tonight to make sure they fit and work with the parts, and if they do he will be offering correctly de-farbbed plates for Armis.

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Now that is some welcome news!

[Todd Watts]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Well, his new plates are close, but will require minor tweeking to get them "drop-in" ready. These are still several weeks away from sale, but he is on the right track. I fitted 1 tonight as a test case, but it is more work than most would be able or willing to do so I have given him my suggestions and will take the plates back so he can get them to his machinst that made them.

On a happy note, my Barnett stamps arrived today and look great. Now to get to the Barnett orders in the shop....;)

[DBURT]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Todd, that is good news on the Barnett stamps....can't wait to get mine.
I hope the Barnett orders keep coming in for you. The Barnett's were some dynasty in the gun making game, it all started with one Robert Barnett way back in 1737....

Dave Burt, ACWS, England.

[Todd Watts]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

I have 4 Barnetts on order now (3 after yours) and will likely do the annual Christmas give-away for BRi as a Barnett since it is the new kid on my block. Before I do any others after yours (my test case) it will go to Mr. Barry for constructive criticism (or derogatory criticsm). I whacked the stamp on a block of wood last night to check the font and was pleased. Also in this batch of stamps were new Schuyler, Hartley and Graham stamps to allow me to do that particular version better than before. Before I was hand-marking the stamps and doing a pretty fair job but it was time consuming so a stamp will move that model along faster and more uniformly. Also I got a correct-font "LAC" stamp made of friggin' cobalt to allow me to correclty mark case-hardened lock parts better. My original "LAC" stamp flattened out on those harder parts. Pappy always told me "buy the best and you'll never be sorry." Went ahead and spent the $$ to get cobalt like my other stamps and marked yet another tally into my "daddy was right" column for the re-learning experience.:o

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Massive Todd Watts Enfield Defarb!!!

Looking forward to it. I broke an original LA Co sear (don't ask) and I saved the piece that showed the LAC marking. We can compare that to your new stamp, too. Another interesting variation for the Barnett would be a blank lock plate with Barnett stamped in the wood between the two lock plate screws. My favorite though is the lock marked Barnett over London forward of the hammer with Tower under the crown.