431 - A LAC-made P53 rifle-musket

A LAC-made P53 rifle-musket dating: circa 1850 - 1865 provenance: United Kingdom, Round, rifled barrel, provided with foresight and foldaway and adjustable rear sight calibrated up to ‘9’. Around 14.5 mm cal. at the nozzle (probably .577). On the chamber powder, there are marks, probably from British military inspection (a crowned ‘2’ and another mark that is not clearly legible, possibly a ‘V’ or an arrow), as well as two ‘L.A.C.’ marks. Inside, bore with visible rifling, needs cleaning but is likely to be dusty. Percussion lock with ‘VR’ surmounted by a crown and the manufacturer’s mark dated ‘1860 L.A.C.o.’. Working mechanism. Walnut, full stock with notch decoration on the fore-end, on the right side, near the nozzle. Brass trigger guard and butt-plate, the latter numbered “529” (regimental numbers?). Iron barrel bracket, brass muzzle ring. Complete with ramrod. The barrel with small section with a bluing towards the breech. Generally well-preserved, condition between good and very good. LAC stands for the London Armoury Company, which is still renowned today for its high-quality production of P53 rifles. It is well known that many commercial P53 rifles manufactured by the LAC were purchased by the Confederate government to supply its troops in the US Civil War. Our item, however, is probably a British military issue, given the inspection marks on the barrel.