In the year 1854 sir. Joseph Whitworth, was commissioned by the english war office to design a rifle to replace the Enfield pattern 53, he started to work on a .451 caliber rifle, equipped with a barrel having a hexagonal bore profile. The rifle created outperformed all competitors during the tests made in 1859 and enabling the queen victoria to easily hit a target at 366 meters (400 yards), during the first meeting of the british rifle association. Also used during the american civil war, the rifle equipped the sharpshooters of the confederate army, hence the name “Whitworth Sharpshooters”. Pedersoli is glad to offer its hammer forged browned finish hexagonal barrel version, american walnut stock, with lock parts light color case hardened finish.