577 Musketoon hankering

[DesG]

Thanks for the replies. The musketoon sounds like fun. I have no idea yet what the bloke at the club is selling, only that it’s a 577 musketoon. Time will tell.

I have two Lyman 575 minie moulds which are identical bar the base plugs. The ogive deep plug seems to work better than the shallow flat base in the original Tower Enfields I was casting for. It will be interesting to see what works in a more modern barrel. I also have a .560 lee ball mold for my smoothbore cannon. The minie make interesting full silhouette holes in that at 25yds.

We have a 100 and 50 m range which is only cleared for 22rf. I am trying to convince the committee that the 577 is only a 22 with a worn bore, but no luck yet.

Now we wait for my 1 4 1 to go through!

[tacfoley]

Thanks for the replies. The musketoon sounds like fun. I have no idea yet what the bloke at the club is selling, only that it’s a 577 musketoon. Time will tell.

I have two Lyman 575 minie moulds which are identical bar the base plugs. The ogive deep plug seems to work better than the shallow flat base in the original Tower Enfields I was casting for. It will be interesting to see what works in a more modern barrel. I also have a .560 lee ball mold for my smoothbore cannon. The minie make interesting full silhouette holes in that at 25yds.

We have a 100 and 50 m range which is only cleared for 22rf. I am trying to convince the committee that the 577 is only a 22 with a worn bore, but no luck yet.

Now we wait for my 1 4 1 to go through!

The 'more modern' barrel you mention, in the Parker-Hale Musketoon, but NOT in the EuroArms productions, is an exact replication of the original Pattern 1861 Musketoon in every respect, having been copied exactly from the sealed pattern version held at that time by the MoD Pattern Room. As, indeed, was every part of every version of the Enfield rifle ever made by Parker-Hale. As I mentioned above, it has the original style progressive rifling that is NOT found on any modern replica made by the Italians.

I was actually present in the Pattern Room in Nottingham [after it had been moved from its original site at RSA Enfield], when they were grudgingly returned by the P-H staff members, and helped the much-missed Herbie Woodend MBE to 'count the bits'.

[DesG]

Well, I've gone for it. Collecting my new baby tomorrow. For Tac the serial number is 1152 which would make it a PH original according to David Minshall I believe.

I'll try it on Friday, unfortunately only at twenty five metres as the people in the housing estate behind our range are forever complaining about the bullet holes.

[Greygoose]

Well, I've gone for it. Collecting my new baby tomorrow. For Tac the serial number is 1152 which would make it a PH original according to David Minshall I believe.

I'll try it on Friday, unfortunately only at twenty five metres as the people in the housing estate behind our range are forever complaining about the bullet holes.

3 ahead of mine off the production line!

[tacfoley]

3 ahead of mine off the production line!

And mine is 1187!!! All good.

I bought mine new in 1974 from Ron May at Cherry Tree Rise - got the receipt somewhere, too. It came with a Sergeant's combination tool and a nifty patch. That latter I still have, but the VERY useful combination tool disappeared a while back, courtesy of a fellow shooter who left with it in his tool box and never came back...

I now have a REAL item from Mr Dyson.

[tacfoley]

Well, I've gone for it. Collecting my new baby tomorrow. For Tac the serial number is 1152 which would make it a PH original according to David Minshall I believe.

I'll try it on Friday, unfortunately only at twenty five metres as the people in the housing estate behind our range are forever complaining about the bullet holes.

First thing to do is to get on to Peter Dyson's website and order a couple of spare nipple washers - made of copper, they act as a spacer to ease the removal of the nipple. A touch of CoppaSlip on the threads is good, as well, seeing as your new rifle has some serious age about it.

[enfield2band]

First thing to do is to get on to Peter Dyson's website and order a couple of spare nipple washers - made of copper, they act as a spacer to ease the removal of the nipple. A touch of CoppaSlip on the threads is good, as well, seeing as your new rifle has some serious age about it.

At £1 each I would look at fleabay. I have just had a quick look and you can get 20 for less than £2.

Dyson lists his at 8.5mm x 1mm. If you get the nearest it would not take much to file the hole out by 1/2mm, approx .020".

[DesG]

At £1 each I would look at fleabay. I have just had a quick look and you can get 20 for less than £2.

Dyson lists his at 8.5mm x 1mm. If you get the nearest it would not take much to file the hole out by 1/2mm, approx .020".

Yes, I thought the same but I already have boxes and boxes of various washers in my workshop. I have ordered a couple of spare nipples though.

[tacfoley]

The washer needs to be copper - NOT any kind of ferrous material.

[loiner1965]

At £1 each I would look at fleabay. I have just had a quick look and you can get 20 for less than £2.

Dyson lists his at 8.5mm x 1mm. If you get the nearest it would not take much to file the hole out by 1/2mm, approx .020".

did this myself

[DesG]

Well that was fun. Around thirty shots today and the same on Friday. Strange how I had the range to myself for the first couple of shots and then the lie down, fall asleep between shots 22 shooters started to drift in to see what all the noise was about. I reckon I've inspired a good few of them to take up the dark arts!

The musketoon shoots really well with around 60gns but for comfort and the rapid headache I made a recoil pad for today. Big difference. If I manage to get down to the club on Wednesday I'll start working up a reduced load that is both accurate with the lyman Minie ball and more confortable to shoot. Now I'm getting older the recoil is more noticeable.

A collector friend of mine has eight original Tower Enfields in India pattern smoothbore, 39" rifle and the shorter 24" Sgt version. I have to say, of the ones we have fired the PH outshoots all of them.