You know Art the P1853 tool was an improved version of the Brown Bess Tool of the revolution era. I wonder how they carried that "Y" tool also?

The British had to have had a "best way" to carry it with all of those years of experience. And you are right it has too many sharp points to be carrying it in your pocket. I would hate to fall on that thing wrongly. It could do some serious damage. That is one of the main reasons that I believe that it was a pack item. An item to be carried in the Knapsack, or in the southern soldiers case the Haversack.

The fact that they had two versions of it would seem to indicate that it would have been somewhat generally issued. Althought I doubt that every Confederate Soldier in the field got one. After all the P1853 Enfield was a Military Musket and not pron to breakdown that often.

As such there really was not too much that a soldier in the field could do in repairing his rifle-musket until he was able to return to camp. A plugged barrel or nipple was about all I can envision a soldier doing as field repairs. A broken spring or other part was just that, and would require the availability of spare parts to fix. Which I am sure that the average soldier did not carry with him at all times.