While this has strayed well away from the original "minie musket" question - Here goes a few quick items for you Art.

I have seen the idea of charging Confederate soldiers before. Gen Marmaduke's order book refers to a charge of as much as a dollar a lost round in Arkansas in the period of early 63.

HOWEVER - having said that - there is a vast gulf between paper regulations and their practical application in the field. I have not found any mention of the charge ever being actually applied in diaries or histories of the men under Hindman's/Marmaduke's command that I have ever read. (Hell, when you really think about it. It's kinda silly making a hollow threat to fine a soldier that may not have been paid for many months!) AND as a old digger, there are still PLENTY of dropped and undamaged rounds in Arkansas Confederate camps from that period to assume that this regulation was pretty much ignored at the field level - except to perhaps make the traditional hair raising threats directed towards subordinates.

I find this gulf between paper regulations and field and usage to be very wide especially in the Confederate units I have followed.(and Union units as well - examples - the number of oval enlisted man's plates and belts seen in the equipment turned in by Federal Cavalry units at the end of the war)

I would imagine that functionality and availability were WAY more important to field Confederate units as far as equipment and accouterments used - than any Regulations were.

AS far as broken sights on Enfield's - I have always found the original soldered attachment to be very sturdy for the base section. But, the slider and the leaf are seemingly prone to bending. The side ramps protect the leaf very well in the down position - but once up, a lateral hit can buckle the leaf and render the thing pretty useless. Some may have "broken" off that way in service. I one in my collection has just such a bent and damaged leaf.

Hope that these are of interest.