Steve,

This is a 2nd Model P1853 Enfield, made under one of the British Government contracts that were let to produce guns for the Crimean War. The domestic arms makers could not meet the wartime demand, so contracts were let with makers in Belgium, France (as previously noted for this one), and even America (Robbins & Lawrence in Windsor, VT). The French manufacture resulted from the August 1855 acceptance of a French offer to deliver 20,000 Enfields.

Some of these guns that were delivered after the Crimean War did see use in the WBTS, having been sold out of store and later bought by US or CS purchasing agents, but this one most likely was still in England in the 1860s. The "V" on the buttplate indicates Volunteer - one of several civilian paramilitary groups that were popular in England in the 1860s. These were formed to promote marksmanship among the general population in response to a perceived threat from France, but they were more-or-less glorified shooting clubs. The Volunteers liked to effect fancy military-style dress, and many had fancy rifles. But some units were issued rifles from the Government - guns that were considered Second Class - such as P53 Enfields that had previously been issued, or were not of the latest configuration (like this one).

The buttplate markings mean Lancashire Volunteers, either 6th Corps, Battalion or Company (depending on how the Lancashire Volunteers were organized), gun number 122 (the rack number). (from "Regulations for the Volunteer Force," 19 Jan. 1861)

The large crown on the lockplate was a standard marking for British military weapons, even those that were not made under contract to the British Government (such as the normal WBTS Enfields). The mark of Government acceptance and ownership was the Crowned Broad Arrow, which can be faintly seen on the lockplate in front of the date 1856. The V+R was for Victoria Regina - Queen Victoria. As Len noted, the V+R was used in France; VstarR (I can't type a small star here :) was used on Belgian guns (which also had the date in italics), V.R (or VR) on British-made guns, and generally no royal initials on the Windsor guns.

This gun most likely remained in use in England until post-1865. Since it came out of Michigan, it *may* have been sent to Canada in 1866 or 1867 for the Fenian troubles, although most of those guns were Snider breechloaders.

E.JONES was almost certainly the stamp of a British inspector, not an owner.

Hope this helps,

Geoff Walden