Here's an incredibly rare piece for the Confederate collector. Thanks to the exhaustive research efforts of Russ A. Pritchard and C.A. Huey's wonderful book THE ENGLISH CONNECTION we can now positively identify this Potts and Hunt Enfield as an honest-to-goodness Confederate musket. This musket's Confederate provenance is proven by its unique stock markings; in particular the "CROWN / SH / G4" markings stamped in front of the butt plate tang. This markings was recently proven to belong to non other than the famous Confederate Purchasing House Sinclair Hamilton & Co. While no one is sure why this Sinclair Hamilton & Co. stamp varies from the other style "SHC" markings found on other Confederate Enfields, the prevailing theory is that this style marking was an attempt by the company to assign a number to each of the five furnishers that delivered muskets to the firm. Previously, these furnishers marked the comb of the butt with a single initial to indicate that they delivered the gun. The marks were B for EP Bond, F for Parker, Field & Son, K for James Kerr, (these 3 being London makers), S for Scott & Son and J for CW James (these last 2 being Birmingham makers). Just because their furnisher’s mark appeared on the stock, did not mean that they built the gun, only that they delivered to Sinclair, Hamilton & Company under this contract. It is rational to presume that the number following the “G” in the SH/G# mark refers to the furnisher for the contract.
Of the other known Confederate "CROWN / SH / G#" stamped Enfields, all of them have a script style inspector's cartouche stamped in the left side lock panel. This musket follows that trend with a nice, deep "WR" cartouche stamped in the lock panel.
I'm aware of at least three other identically marked Potts and Hunts. Of those three, one has been identified to a Confederate Unit. All are marked with the "CROWN/SH/G4" stamp and "WR" cartouche. All three also have the same style Potts and Hunt lock plate without a border. They are all also the "short butt" style stock which makes their overall length a full inch shorter than the more commonly encountered "long butt" Enfields. Clearly these guns were all from the same stand or shipment of rifles.
This musket is in great "untouched" condition. The stock is in good shape with no cracks or splits and some moderate burn-out around the bolster. The lock has a great chocolate patina with some salt-and-pepper pitting and great legible markings. The barrel is full length and both front and rear sights are intact and unmodified. The bore is dark with deep rifling. The furniture is all original including the ramrod; which is full length.
This is a great opportunity to pick up a very rare Confederate piece.
