In the mid-nineteenth century, the British empire is near its zenith. Far flung corners of the globe are under the empire's control.
The soldiers of the empire - carry musket longarms. The first large deployment of the Pattern 53 happened in the Crimean war around 1854. Convinced of its much superior accuracy at range - due to the rifling of the barrel, there began a program to replace all longarms with this new rifle model. That was easier said than done, though. The troops - spread across the globe - numbered more thah 500,000.
In early 1857, the uprising in the empire's troops in the provinces of Awadh, Bengal, Delhi was triggered by the introduction of this musket and its new cartridge. "इसमें बारूद है और गोली भी" - says a British officer in a delightfully well-made movie - Mangal Pandey.
In America, the rifle was one of the most heavily used weapon in both the Federal and Confederate sides.
It is indeed a beautiful weapon. The wooden stock is made of dense walnut - treated and polished to preserve the wood through rough military conditions. The barrel and te firing mechanism is made of steel and is wonderfully resistant from rust. It stays black and smooth after decades of use.