POTTS & HUNT London, Pattern 1856 No 2 Bar on Band Short Rifle, American Civil War! Yes, it needs some work. This was a favored short rifle of the Confederate Calvary, but I see no marks or stamps to prove it. But I do not see any marks for US Military (Union) either. Large number of Enfield rifles were purchase by northern states such as New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, but usually add some sort of state markings.

The third option is the it could be a English Volunteer Rifle Corps, sometime between 1859 and 1863. Promoted by troop shortages during the Crimean War, the Volunteer Rifle Corp movement employed university students and civilian members and the idea was to assist the regular army and to protect the country from invasion. 

This is a Potts & Hunt Enfield pattern short rifle it is .577 caliber, an a muzzleloader that measures 49” long and fitted with a 33” long barrel. The barrel is mated to a stock of old dark walnut (nice). The rifle has no checkering on the stock wrist or forend. Barrel, lockplate, hammer, triggerguard, bands show proper age and patinia. The lockplate surface is medium dark gray and exhibits a mottled mild peppery look from scattered fine rust pitting. Lockplate also bears the clear stamping of “POTTS & HUNT / LONDON” in front of hammer. No year of manufacture or crown found behind the hammer but does show thin, two-line tooling along the edges. No original case colors remain. Bore dark with little to no rifling. Large iron triggerguard with no serial number, Confederate smuggled gun near the end of the war? Commercial Proofs with a "25 " stamp in between the V and P proof stamps. Note; the twenty-five is , 25 Gauge which stands for .577 caliber at that time.

The front barrel band is a bayonet lug too with a "113" stamp on the lug surface, it is missing it's screw. There is no ram rod. There is no nipple. There is no accessory loop or screw in front of the trigger guard, it may have never had one. Trigger guard is iron, not brass, some were made with brass other not. A must for any Civil War collector : ) SOLD 

Please look at all photos.