High quality "Volunteer" Pattern 53 Rifle-Musket manufactured by London Armoury. This is a regulation pattern 1853 rifle-musket with finely blued barrel, casehardened lock and hammer and high grade checkered Italian Walnut stock. The musket appears to be a weapon manufactured for sale to "volunteer" military organizations that were popular in England during the late 1850s and early 1860s. The left side of the barrel between the tang and the rear sight is stamped with what appear to be three British military proof, inspection and property marks including the "Broad Arrow". All three stamps have been carefully lined out before the barrel was blued. The lock and hammer have vivid casehardening colors. The barrel is highly polished and has a deep plum blue finish. The barrel bands have a high gloss blue finish. The brass buttplate, trigger guard and forend cap are expertly fitted. The closely grained walnut stock has a semi-gloss oil finish with deep, well executed checkering on the wrist and forend. The lock plate is stamped with the Queen's "crown/V.R." mark which is usually only found on British Army P53 muskets. "1861/L.A. Co." is stamped ahead of the hammer. The right side of the butt is stamped with a roundel marked: "LONDON ARMORY BERMONDSEY" in the outer circle and is dated "1862" in the center. The three-letter initials of the gunsmith who fitted the stock are stamped in the ramrod channel between the lower and middle barrel bands. The rifle is carefully finished and was clearly manufactured as a privately purchased weapon and not for British Army issue or export to the United States.

Excellent plus. The rifle retains at least 98% of the original blue and casehardened finish. Wear is confined to small areas of surface rust on the right side of the barrel on either side of the middle barrel band. The stock has some very minor storage marks but remains in excellent condition. The checkering on the wrist and forearm is extremely sharp and shows minimal wear. The bore is mint. All markings on the stock lock and barrel are extremely sharp. The rifle is unfired and has been exposed to minimal, careful handling. In our opinion this is the finest conditioned example of a high quality English Volunteer Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket