A large variety of weapons were used during the Civil War, with rifles being the primary firearm soldiers employed during fighting. "Civil War Firearms: Their Historical Background and Tactical Use" By Joseph G. Bilby, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, United States armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, 1866 Springfield "Trapdoor" infantry rifle, http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/soldierlife/webguns.htm, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, It has been suggested that this article be merged into. It had design similarities to the Colt revolver, with a rotating cylinder that held several rounds of ammunition (a unique feature on a rifle). Anything you can tell us about it would be much appreciated. In fact, the reinterment of all the soldiers at the Camden Battlefield site is being delayed until the U.S. Army and the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust can turn the ground into a . Interestingly enough, Colt Manufacturing sent around 2,200 Model 1860 Colts to the South on contract early in the war. Its no wonder that even as Colt developed new revolver models during the war, like the 1861 Navy, that the Unions first choice was still the Model 1860. Some were considered to be of the finest quality, and were sometimes praised as being superior to the Enfield. Sir Joseph Whitworth was the man behind the machine, inspired by cannon design in conceiving his polygonal rifled long gun. These old and obsolete weapons were replaced by newer weapons as they became available. However, there are no greater rifles to collect than these popular models. The .54-caliber turned out to be a boon for the Union cavalry, giving them a quick-to-reload firearm, built to withstand the trials of battle. Black powder also quickly obscured the battlefield, which led military leaders of the time to conclude that the greater range of rifles was of little value on the battlefield. Typically, these rifles are sold for $1,000-$3,000 depending on their condition. One of the things we used to do was collect up everything that came out of the barrels to see how and what they were loaded with. Advances in firearms technology were quickly progressing in the mid-1800s making for some seriously well designed and powerful arms development during the Civil War. Spencer rifles were the first successful repeater used in the United States. And why not? 10 Facts: Civil War Artillery | American Battlefield Trust Trying to remove nipples and they would not budge. The gun is 50 long and 36 from the business end to trigger. These rifles, while more accurate than smoothbore muskets, had been designed for hunting, and fired less deadly smaller caliber ammunition. Sharps was without a doubt the finest produced and best functioning carbine of the war. England became one of the Rebels' main arms dealers, with a number of small private gunmakers from around London and Birmingham supplying up to 350,000 Pattern 1853s. The speed and reliability of the Spencer is what made it stand above many of the other guns produced at the time. There was an article in a very recent edition of Man at Arms Collector magazine on shotgun use in the Civil War. 1861. Prohibitive cost, however, stymied wider adoption. The rifle was produced under military contract with S.C. Robinson Arms Manufactory and was made in the breech loading style of the Sharps rifle. Remove the ramrod, put the hammers on half cock, remove the key and lift the barrels up. As a result, cavalry came to be used mainly for raiding and scouting, and seldom participated in major battles. Civil War Handgun professionals specializing in appraisals of antique revolvers and pistols used by Union and Confederate forces during and before the Civil War. The rare Confederate Le Mat revolver is another highly desirable Civil War gun. Although they're overshadowed by flashier historic firearms, Old Winchester Rifles to Add to Your Gun Collection, When people think of firearms, there are a few names that immediately come to mind, and Winchester is one of the first. The bayonet is unmarked except for the date of 1861. Muzzle velocity reached 950 feet per second. But the Henry made its way into Civil War lore through soldiers spending their own hard-earned pay on the brass-receiver beasts. Civil War political cartoon, Civil War Memorabilia: Everything You Need to Know, American history buffs' gateway into antique collecting often comes first through acquiring Civil War memorabilia. During 1863, Sharps was the carbine prominently used by Union soldiers. I would guess the gun originated in Belgium. The Lorenz rifle was originally .54 caliber. Its external tubular magazine could get fouled or damaged, which was trouble for a weapon thats advantage was rate of fire. Though the muzzleloader percussion cap rifle was the most numerous weapon, being standard issue for the Union and Confederate armies, many other firearms, ranging from the single-shot breech-loading Sharps and Burnside rifles to the Spencer and the Henry rifles - two of the world's first repeating rifles - were issued by the hundreds of thousands, mostly by the Union. Many soldiers saved their salaries to buy their own Henry rifle as their government issued weapons couldn't hold up to the rifle's speed and lethality. Appraiser, Seller and Dealer of Civil War Guns to include Revolvers, Pistols, Rifles, Muskets, Carbines and Cannons, Union and Confederate. The war itself not only shaped the country politically, but also spiked a rush of innovation in manufacturing. At the same time, Northern rifle and gun manufacturers such as Sharps, Colt, Remington, and the United States armory at Springfield, Massachusetts quickly increased their production of rifles;[2] Springfield alone increased its annual output from 20,000 to 200,000. The Spencer carbine and rifle were first presented to the government in 1860, but were rejected by the United States because they were 7 shooters and fired too fast for accuracy. This is most definitely a sporting arm and not a military arm. When not at his press or the range he can be found chasing mule deer around the Rocky Mountains. John Russell is a Civil War Historian and Collector who brought a historic Enfield rifle to show off at a Texas Independence Day Party in late February. The gunpowder would sometimes leak from the cartridges in the field and settle into the cylinder. But the 24-inch, 9-pound brainchild of Benjamin Henry did have its weak points. The Civil War brought many advances in firearms technology, most notably the widespread use of rifled barrels. Both Union and Confederate armies used this accuracy to devastating effect, flinging the .58-caliber, 500-grain Mini balls at each other from up to 500 yards out. He certainly built a gun that outperformed it, at one trial striking targets at 2,000 yards, 600 yards better than the Enfield. Good thing, too, because battlefield surgeons already had their hands more than full at the pace soldiers were being wounded and killed by the Model 1861. The Civil War was a time of great social and political upheaval. I learned this the hard way. 10,000 of the muskets were sent to Hall, Carrol and Co and Greenwood and Co, both of Cincinnati, Ohio. Used in the Civil War? In addition, most existing military doctrine was based around the smoothbore musket. Dec 13, 2014. The old gal looks rode hard and put away wet. Nevertheless, the rifles were heavily imported with an estimated 350,000 making their way into the hands of both Union and Confederate soldiers. Soon, 14 Revolutionary War soldiers will finally rest in peace While both sides used the 1853, it was a particularly important arm in Confederates' hodgepodge arsenal. [18][20], Some soldiers considered the Enfield to be superior to the Springfield in terms of quality and accuracy. We auctioned off the beauty for $21,850. This weapon gave the Union an advantage over the Confederate troops. In order to hit a target at distances beyond 100 yards, the firer had to carefully adjust their sights and accurately estimate the range, which could be difficult in the havoc of battle. Gun - Musket - 1861 Springfield. The inventor of the gun was able to mass produce a cartridge that had a powerful powder charge. It is assumed from official records that somewhere around 230,000 Spencer rifles were used in the second half of the war. The enterprising Confederates adapted these rifles to better suit their needs. With over 1 million being produced during the war by Springfield Armory and about two dozen other firearm producers, the dependable rifle gained fame during the early years of the war with many being produced in 1862. Her ancestors fought for both sides, however, the gun in question arrived to us through her late father who grew up in rural Mississippi (born 1940s) and moved to North Carolina in the 1970s. Like other Springfield rifles it was first produced at the Springfield Armory, but to meet war demands twenty arms manufacturers were contracted to increase production. I don't know anything about your "rifle" except to tell you that it is NOT a rifle, it is a double barreled shotgun. Civilian models did see war time uses if a soldier privately purchased the firearm, but it is hard to tell if the Civil War gun was for battle or just purchased by someone for general protection. The Burnside rifle was a carbine developed by General Ambrose Burnside in 1856. How John Roberts Saved the GOP (and Sparked Its Civil War) - Yahoo [20][25] Later in the war, even factory-direct Lorenz rifles tended to be of poor craftsmanship. Many officers, however, preferred the Springfield muskets over the Enfield musketslargely due to the interchangeability of parts that the machine-made Springfields offered. Despite the rifles impressive capabilities the British military did not adopt the .451-caliber Whitworth. Guns like these did see use and were preferred by some. By 1864, some Union companies were armed with them, although rarely whole regiments. The lowest selling went for $3,163 and was a civilian model. [23][24], Many older Springfield muskets, such as the Springfield Model 1842, which had been converted into rifles were also brought out of storage due to the arms shortage. The rifle potentially had another downside however. 60th North Carolina Infantry Inscribed Rifle. p. 1-3, Axelrod,A.

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