The Monster Enfield Defarbing Thread

[Devildog0311]

Musket Defarbing

I was wondering if anyone knows first hand about the quality of the Blockade Runner Enfield defarb? I don't know if the Tower stamp is the right size or not. Take a look .



Justin Connor

[BrianHicks]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

If I remember correctly, the stamps where all copied directly from an original Enflield provided by Tim Prince. I had talked to him about the results of this endeavor about a year ago. From what I recall, he was very pleased with the quality of the stamps used to mark their defarbed enfields.

I have been to their shop, and personally looked at one of their rifles, and to my uneducated eye, the stamps and markings all looked crisp, and well done, but remember... unlike Mr. Prince, I am not intimate with such things as he is.

It might be worth your time if you e-mailed him, and asked if he had an opinion on the results of the Blockade Runners efforts to reproduce the dies needed to produce the stamps on their defarbed rifles.

Tim's e-mail is: equaliser@earthlink.net

[pineyboy]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

I have one of their defarbed Enfields and I am very happy with it. It looks very good and is at a good price.

[HighPrvt]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

Just got an E-mail from BR, I'll let y'all know tomorrow what I think. Well it'll also be my untrained opinion, but I can compare it to other defarbs so......

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

Photos would be great, if someone could post a few... :D

Do they do any reshaping of the stock?

Thanks!

[Michael Comer]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

They have photos on their website. You might take a look there. Not sure about the stock since I'm not looking at their site but I want to say it does not include any work on it. I did a basic defarb on my Enfield myself and have contacted them to see how about having a cartouche put on the stock. The photo of theirs looks nice and clean. If that is usual standard it should be pretty nice.

[RFox]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

My first post, but have been looking at purchasing an enfield for a bit now, and have been looking into several vendors. To answer the last question about the stock, the site says "Stock is re-contoured to match the original".

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

Please forgive me, but I am a skeptic when it comes to these things. This causes me to dismiss vendor claims of quality or historical accuracy until I can see the widget for myself to verify the claims. That is why I was interested in seeing a pic of a musket to see the shape of the stock, etc.

I took a look at the website to see if there was a pic. The only pictures available are close-up shots of various details of parts and markings.

So, again... Does anybody own one of these suckers? Would you be willing to post a couple of shots of the stock, especially the buttstock, lock, and forend areas?

Also, their website raised some questions for me:

re-stained using a deep penetrating stain sealant giving the wood a deep brown color. Then wax is applied to seal and protect the surface.

What is a "deep penetrating stain sealant"? I kept looking for "linseed oil", but never saw it...

Thanks, folks!

[Devildog0311]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

Thank you to all of you. You have been very helpful.


Justin Connor

[HighPrvt]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

EDIT:
Due to the weight, and the box/paperwork in the box. I thought they had sent me a Euroarms by mistake.
After speaking with Jerry, and him stating that they do not change the barrel bands on the Euroarms defarbs, I am now convinced that I do in fact have an Armisport.
Just to be 100% can anybody tell me any difference between the two that wouldn't be affected by the defarbing process, assuming that maybe Mr. Watts did change the bands?
Here's a few pics of the details.

[C.R. Henderson]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

Look at your mainspring on the inside of the lock. If memory serves me correctly, the Armi Sport has either a silver/metallic mainspring whereas the Euroarms have a black mainspring. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Chris

[HighPrvt]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

Thanks,
Someone told me that the nipples arn't exchangeable between the two manufacturers. So I tried the nipple from my Armi-'61 Springfield, and it worked...
It just seems heavy for an Armisport.


BTW,
The stock is re-contoured at the cheek rest.
Now to hunt up some Minies, and step out to the back yard!!!

[toptimlrd]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

[QUOTE=HighPrvt;45728]Thanks,
Someone told me that the nipples arn't exchangeable between the two manufacturers. So I tried the nipple from my Armi-'61 Springfield, and it worked...
It just seems heavy for an Armisport.


UOTE]

If the Enfields are like the Springfields, then the cones are not interchangeable.

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

Most of the current service providers of "accuracy modified" Enfields were reviewed in The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy (Watchdog Publishing Co 2006). Todd Watts work was reviewed.

To summarize, he does very good work and the barrel proof marks are particularly outstanding. I have probably seen them all (a few times) and I had Watts stamp proof marks on the barrel of my Enfield. He also does an expert barrel re-bluing, which is a real plus. The stock is very nicely re-contoured. The stock finish is not boiled linseed oil. As the website indicates it is some sort of modern stain with a coat of beeswax.

The Watchdog Civil War Quarterly provides advice and feedback, but the various service providers decide whether or not to follow it. The recommendation here would be to refinish the stock with boiled linseed oil on your own, it is not difficult to do.

Let me hasten to add that none of the current Enfield "de-farb" service providers actually refinish the gun stock in a period correct manner. If they do anything at all it is a modern stain with a top coat of "Tru-Oil", tung oil or some other modern linseed oil product. A boiled linseed oil finish is hand-rubbed and it is a process that takes some time to do properly.

Todd also did some work on my Armi-Sport US Model 1842 which came "out of the box" from BRI with the hammer not quite reaching the cone (quality control not exactly being the forte of the repro Italian gun-makers), and he de-farbed it expertly while he had it in his shop to fix the hammer problem. It looks as good as any work I have seen. However I still refinished it with boiled linseed oil when I got it back. You can see the difference a linseed oil finish makes in an upcoming Civil War Historian article on Tung Oil vs Boiled Linseed Oil.
The 1842 stock referenced previously here is pictured in that upcoming article.

Lastly, Todd Watts used several P-53 Enfields in producing his "de-farb", including an original from Tim Prince and a Birmingham commercial P-53 made by "Swinburn & Son" which he borrowed from me and copied the JS anchor mark and other stamps. The workmanship on all the stamps is very good. Most of the Enfields done by Watts for BRI are Armi-Sport. You can tell by the correct "Palmer type" barrel bands, or by weighing your Enfield. An Armi-Sport is usually just under 9 lbs or so, and the EOA is a bit heavier, about 10 lbs 9 oz. Watts is planning to start re-shaping EOA bands, as of the last time I spoke to him at the Nashville Gun Show.

This is at best a compromise solution to reshape the RSAF(Baddeley) type bands and this is done mostly for fellows who already have the Euroarms.
Craig L. Barry

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Blockade Runner Enfield Defarb

EDIT:

Here's a few pics of the details.

Out of idle curiousness, most of the references I've seen indicate that the "JS over anchor" stamp was placed on the bottom side of the stock -- in the wood -- and not on the lockplate...