Red,

The "Tower" marking on the lock plate indicates that your Enfield was made by one of the independent contractors in Birmingham (which Marson was), and not the Royal Small Arms Factory ("Enfield" on lock plate for RSAF arms) or the London Armoury Company ("LAC" on lockplate for these arms).

Enfields made by the independent contractors did not typically use interchangeable parts, while those made at Enfield and by the LAC had fully interchangeable parts.

Yes, both the Federals and Confederates imported Enfields during the war. Although estimates vary, some sources put the numbers imported during the war at approximately 400,000 for each combatant, while others put the number somewhat higher for the Yankees and lower for the Rebels.

Offhand, if memory serves me correctly, I do not believe that Marson was a member of the BSAT. But I would have to check my files/notes to be sure.

Mike