These are a few of the more unique rifles that have documented use during the 19th century conflict. In our 2018 December Premier Auction, RIAC sold a U.S. Colt Model 1851 Navy percussion revolver for $4,600. Rifled muskets quickly became the standard weapon of modern armies of the period, including the United States, while some smoothbore muskets were converted into rifles. Guns like these did see use and were preferred by some. This was not Britains first go-around with a rifle bound to shoot Mini-style projectiles. (2017). The key may be pinned and not come all the way out. During the American Civil War, there was a real transitory period happening within the firearms industry. As the war escalated those arms stockpiles were quickly diminished. Spencer rifles were the first successful repeater used in the United States. In fact, something as simple as the Civil War hats that you c, Antique Flintlock Rifles: History, Identification & Values, Antique flintlock rifles, with their rifled barrels and simplistic construction, harken back to a time where accuracy wasn't a guarantee. A rugged design that was simple to construct, the Model 1861 and its derivatives (including the Springfield Model 1863) were the most common rifles in the war, with Northern arsenals producing over a million examples. Fact #5: Like previous wars, Civil War artillery could fire multiple types of ammunition. We did not manufacture guns of this nature in the US. Remove the ramrod, put the hammers on half cock, remove the key and lift the barrels up. The rifle that you could load on Sunday and shoot all week long was a boon to the soldier who could get his hands on one. We authenticate and appraise Antique Civil War Guns. Prohibitive cost, however, stymied wider adoption. It was issued to disabled soldiers of the Veteran Reserve Corps very late in the war (April, 1865) and likely was never used in action. Given the Souths smaller manufacturing base compared to the North, it was imperative it import arms. If . Unfortunately for the lucky Confederate troops who happened to capture these rifles from Union soldiers, there wasn't an easy way to access the special ammunition that the guns required. However, the Sharps carbine was very common, with over 90,000 produced. Sold for $3,163 in September 2018. The bayonet is unmarked except for the date of 1861. [20][25] Later in the war, even factory-direct Lorenz rifles tended to be of poor craftsmanship. Again, thanks for taking time to provide us your feedback, it is much appreciated! Cannonballs were solid, round objects that would ricochet off the ground and often used to target fortifications and enemy artillery. Single-Shot Rifle. But it took some doing to get the rifle variation into the hands of the 1st and 2nd Regiments of U.S. Sharpshooters. The American Civil War of 1861-1865 relied on many different kinds of firearms during the years-long progression of the conflict. Despite somewhat limited use, the muzzleloader still reached mythological status with Rebel sharpshooters who achieved some truly astounding shots with the rifle, and in the process struck terror into Union troops. 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. The Whitworth rifle featured a unique hexagonal shaped bullet (with a matching hexagonal barrel) that gave it superior accuracy. Very few Burnside rifles can be found still in this excellent of condition. ammunition used by both Union and Confederate armies. And why not? Though there were several models of the Springfield rifle created during the conflict, the 1861 model was the most heavily used and the easiest Civil War rifle to find on the antiques market today. Other rifles used during the Civil War were the British P-1841-Bored Brunswick Rifle (not common), Burnside carbine (used only by cavalry), Henry rifle (privately purchased by soldiers only), and the Spencer rifle (used almost exclusively by cavalry). 8 Long Guns You Have to Know from the American Civil War, Classic Guns: The Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum Revolver, Tips For Reloading the .30-06 Springfield, 5 Affordable Over/Under Shotguns Worth A Shot (2023), Ruger-Made Marlin Model 336 Classic Lever-Action Rifle Now Available. Most rifles of this era were muzzle loaded rifled muskets. With a B.S. Even worse was the state of cavalry tactics. He is a gun owner and avid reloader from Colorado. He certainly built a gun that outperformed it, at one trial striking targets at 2,000 yards, 600 yards better than the Enfield. To determine the height of the unidentified Civil War soldier, an employee of The Horse Soldier store in Gettysburg, Pa . One has been a longtime priority of the committee's chairman, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.): accelerating the delivery of about $19 billion in weapons Taiwan has already purchased. The first mass-produced American rifled musket, the 1861 was the most utilized long arm of the Civil War. Like with all historical firearms, the prices can vary throughout the years on certain models and type of arms with condition and provenance playing a role on cost. With all due respect, the rear sight is the same as on the 1863 Springfield. If a soldier needed a firearm that had versatility and good repeating capability, it doesnt get much handier than this grapeshot revolver combo. This musket has been identified as one having been purchased by the Confederacy due to chronic arms shortages throughout the conflict. When one side gained the upper hand, they would finish off the attack with a bayonet charge. k.k. 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. [18][20], Some soldiers considered the Enfield to be superior to the Springfield in terms of quality and accuracy. [5], Historian Allen C. Guelzo argues that one technical reason such short ranges persisted was the continued use of black powder. We have an old rifle that has been passed on through my wife's family from, we believe, the Ciivil War. What kind of French muskets? They were to be shipped with the special brass priming tubes. [7][22] Depending on the location where they were manufactured, these were known as Richmond or Fayetteville rifles. These home goods ranged from coats to shoes to even weapons. you read and agreed to the, American Civil War Artifacts & Collectibles. Most of these new rifle-muskets still had to be loaded between . These rifles were used by both the United States of America ("Union") and the Confederate States of America . To reflect this longer range, the Springfield was fitted with two flip up sights, one set for 300 yards (270m) and the other for 500. This rifled musket , with the lock marking "1861 Springfield" and an eagle, was the principal infantry arm of the civil war. 60th North Carolina Infantry Inscribed Rifle. Since most of the Confederate soldiers were shooting muzzle loaders that had a rate of two to three rounds per minute, using a Spencer gave the person firing the weapon a distinct tactical advantage. Please help in identifying this firearm. Similar in design to the Enfield rifle, early Lorenz rifles were considered superb weapons right out of the factory, but they had a .54 caliber bore which could not accept the same bullets as the Springfield and Enfield. The Brunswick was a muzzle loader rifle that was manufactured for the British Army in the early 19th century. The relatively poor South only bought 50,000 by August 1862, while the North bought 726,000. Napoleon normally always tried to rout opposing armies from the field after softening their line with massed artillery barrages. Behind the Sharps, it was the most used cavalry carbine of the war. 3. At least two major battles in the Civil War, Gaines Mill and Gettysburg, saw such attempts, both with predictable results. Barn find. Model 1855 rifles were fairly common. By entering this site you declare [2] see Learn how your comment data is processed. The Civil War gun was in exceptional condition maintaining almost all its blue on the barrel and having little wear marks. Spencer Repeating Rifle/Carbine. army service. Burnsides company went under and he sold his patent to Charles Jackson. The Brunswick rifle was a high tech rifle during the 1830s when it was originally manufactured, but by the 1860s, it was an obsolete firearm. Smooth-bore muskets were cast aside for updated rifled muskets (which still had the same components as a traditional musket but featured boring in the barrels that aided in keeping ammunition going in a straighter, more consistent, line upon exit). This may not be a true Sharps, but the historically relevant and rare nature of a Confederate-made copy made this a popular item. The bored out versions were not consistent in caliber, ranging from .57 to .59. Serendipitously, Sir Whitworth found another market for his rifle at the outset of the American Civil War the Confederates. Civil War U.S. Springfield Model 1861 Percussion Rifle-Musket Dated 1862 with Bayonet. The Lorenz Rifle (again a rifled musket of the Mini variety) had highly mixed reviews in the Civil War. The Whitworth rifle was designed by Sir Joseph Whitworth, and was manufactured in Manchester, England. The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat: Reality and Myth. Many older Springfield rifle muskets, such as the Model 1855 and 1842, were brought out of storage and used due to arms shortages. The military tried to work around this in various ways, but the Colt Revolving rifle was discontinued. The balance is believed to have been altered by Henry Leman, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania using a patent breech like the ones used on his alterations of US M1816 muskets and M1803, M1814, and M1817 common rifles. While both sides used the 1853, it was a particularly important arm in Confederates' hodgepodge arsenal. Other then The French Lefaucheux pin-fire handgun, I have no knowledge of any other French weapons imported by either side. The accuracy of the Whitworth was often exaggerated, but it was capable of hitting a man sized target beyond 1,000 yards. After experimenting with the failed Maynard primer system on the Model 1855 musket, the Model 1861 reverted to the more reliable percussion lock. Model 1861 Springfield rifle-muskets became one of the favorite longarms for the Union. These tactics developed because smoothbore muskets were only accurate at short ranges. Can anyone identify this firearm? A family tintype of an ancestor holding the weapon in their uniform can give you some context as to whether the firearm was active during the 1860s, or is just a family heirloom. Sharps was without a doubt the finest produced and best functioning carbine of the war. The unfortunate experience the army had had with these led to a stigma against repeating rifles, combined with the old fear that they (and single-shot breech loaders) would encourage men to waste ammunition. The invention of the Mini ball solved the slow loading problem, allowing smoothbore muskets to be replaced by rifles in the decades just before the civil war. The British-made arm, the primary long gun of the Empire at the time, proved effective out to 900 yards, 400 yards farther than almost any other rifled musket in the Civil War. The curved trajectory of the bullet also meant there was a gap over which the bullet flew: a rifle musket sighted to a range of 500 yards would send the bullet clear over the head of a mounted cavalryman standing at a distance of 250 yards. Case shot was an anti-personnel projectile, meaning it was used against soldiers. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. (2008). There is a tiny 28 on the brass handle. Those familiar with twentieth-century records often assume that official records of some kind will enable the possessor of a particular Colt percussion Army Model 1860 revolver (for . JavaScript is disabled. With an effective range of 600 paces, troops could fire three rounds per minute with an accuracy of up to 500 yards. This rifle had first seen action in the Second Italian War of Independence. [7][8][9][10], Training could help overcome some of these difficulties but target practice was virtually unknown on either side of the Civil War. Heralded by military historians, American history aficionados, and gun enthusiasts alike, these iconic firearms have transcended their place in history (thanks to the myth making machine of Hollywood cinema) and have become a beloved family heirloom and collection centerpiece today. The rifle was completely original and still retains almost all its blue coloring on the barrel. Nevertheless, the Federal government did eventually purchase thousands of these weapons, and thousands more were purchased by Union soldiers using their own money. Small shipments of this high caliber percussion rifle were delivered to the United States Armies during the Civil War. Many guns like this have " twist steel " barrels. 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. Back in our 2018 December Premiere Auction, RIAC sold a standard, good conditioned Springfield Model 1861 for $3,163. More interestingly, there is evidence that at least 7 Confederate brigades possessed Burnside carbines and used them in battle. The gunpowder would sometimes leak from the cartridges in the field and settle into the cylinder. It was a hollow shell filled with scraps . These rifles were used by both the United States of America ("Union") and the Confederate States of America. Dec 13, 2014. Description: IDENTIFIED Civil War CONFEDERATE P1853 Musket. (2012). Rifles had been in use for many years, but prior to the civil war had been rare in military use. But even with those drawbacks, its hard to argue that a soldier with a Henry in his hands didn't have a great advantage over nearly any enemy he met. I can't tell from the pictures if the barrels are Damascus or not. Because of this, soldiers were frequently outfitted with firearms that were made decades before the fight even started. 2002-2023 LoveToKnow Media. The range and accuracy were big selling points, as well as its .44 caliber which provided excellent stopping power. There was an article in a very recent edition of Man at Arms Collector magazine on shotgun use in the Civil War. April 28, 2023 at 6:36 a.m. EDT. CAT. Trying to remove nipples and they would not budge. [17] Stockpiles of rifles and handguns carried by individual soldiers were limited. The Enfield had a stepped flip up sight, which was adjustable from 100900 yards (91823m) (1,200 yards (1,100m) in later models) in 100 yard increments. [8] A lack of training resulted not only in poor accuracy but in mishandling which could render the rifle useless. But weaponry advancements also played a large role. Polly Pocket toys may be small in size, but they're big on value. Some such weapons included clones of the Sharps carbine, the Richmond/Fayetteville rifles (a Springfield clone) and imitations of Enfield rifles and musketoons. Designed by Jean Alexandre Le Mat with his manufacturing backed by P.G.T. The Spencer carbine, on the other hand, was widely utilized, with around 90,000 being produced for the war effort. Nevertheless, the rifles were heavily imported with an estimated 350,000 making their way into the hands of both Union and Confederate soldiers. Turkish evacuation plane shot at as latest cease-fire struggles in Sudan. This one is thrown in the list for fun, who doesnt like a good Le Mat revolver? A sketch details the 14th Brooklyn regiment's uniform jacket, vest and kepi. In April of 2018, a desirable Sharps Model 1853 slant breech percussion carbine sold for $12,650 at auction. The highest selling Colt Model 1860 revolver in May was a Confederate shipped fluted cylinder model and sold for $12,650. Length of barrel is 42 inches. Went off and smoked up the shop, I have unloaded a few old doubles myself . 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. This rare Spencer Model 1860 carbine is identified as a War Department pattern gun and the top of the breech end of the barrel is bearing a flaming bomb stamp above "W.D" (War Department) surrounded by an oval and "1864" in three lines. The second contract at the same . The 38-inch-long rifled barrel made it a very accurate weapon, and it was possible to hit a man sized target with a Mini ball as far away as 500 yards (460m). The rifles differed from each other mainly in the different "actions" they had. You can also buy research materials from one of our affiliates at our Books for . Typically, these rifles are sold for $1,000-$3,000 depending on their condition. Most of the rifles during that time were loaded with a small lead musket ball or with a minnie ball (or Mini ball) and black powder. Italy:Oxford University Press, USA. Items connected to a man of Lincolns historic stature are largely kept in museums, while his autographs, letters, and other historic documents are among the most collected in the world. Even on the low estimates, the number of American dead from this single conflict was massive, and was not equaled in combined death toll of all other American wars until Vietnam. I don't know anything about your "rifle" except to tell you that it is NOT a rifle, it is a double barreled shotgun. Muzzle velocity reached 950 feet per second. p. 249-250, Hess,E.J. Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily primary operator. 1863. Almost all rifles were made with iron barrels, while only some, like the Burnside, used steel, which then was expensive. 27, No. I am confused, do you have one or two weapons? These differences made it easy to operate from horseback with accuracy, and this accuracy is what inspired the English term, "sharpshooter." Hi. The Civil War rifle became so popular that the Confederate forces copied the design and started producing their own versions of Sharps carbines. Jackson had little luck with sales of the carbine until the Civil War broke out. This page is not available in other languages. It is assumed from official records that somewhere around 230,000 Spencer rifles were used in the second half of the war. Smooth-bore muskets were cast aside for updated rifled muskets (which still had the same components as a traditional musket but featured boring in the barrels that aided in keeping ammunition going in a straighter, more consistent, line upon exit). Such bullets were included in each packet of regular ammunition and designed to clear any residue out of the barrel when fired. The American Civil War still remains the deadliest conflict in our nations history. The lowest selling went for $3,163 and was a civilian model. The Colt repeating rifle was one of the first repeating rifles, alongside with the Henry. This weapon gave the Union an advantage over the Confederate troops. The rear sight on this one is very creative, since Leman removed the Austrian rear sight when he converted the weapons. The carbine was the third most used amongst forces during the war only trailing behind the Spencer and Sharps. Many of these poorer quality weapons were swapped out on the battlefield for Enfield rifle-muskets whenever one became available. The first contract called for 5,000 Model 1861 caliber .36 revolvers at a cost of $12 each. p. 73-74, Coggins,J. Calibre .577, Cosmopolitan, rifled. Officially, less than 2,000 of the revolutionary, lever-action repeating rifles were procured by the Union. It had design similarities to the Colt revolver, with a rotating cylinder that held several rounds of ammunition (a unique feature on a rifle). .44 (takes metallic cartridge), English Sapper rifled, "Enfield" pattern. After initial testing in the fall of 1862, the Union ordered 100,000 of these bullets and issued them to units in the field (such as the 2nd New Hampshire), although by the end of the war 75,000 rounds were still in storage. 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 . The Confederates attempted to claim the moral high ground by arguing they never stooped to using exploding bullets, however the Richmond Arsenal manufactured at least 100,000 exploding bullets and examples of Confederates using exploding bullets can be found during the Battle of Glendale and the Siege of Vicksburg. The single-shot rotating-block carbine utilized one of the breakthrough firearms technologies of the time the self-contained cartridge. And the .44 round was relatively weaker compared to the dominant repeater of the time, the Spencer. The Impossible Takes Longer Winter 1995, Vol. Approximately 900,000 Enfield rifles were imported by both the North and South during the Civil War and it was considered the best of the foreign-sourced rifles. Cal. 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. Some soldiers tried to get around this dangerous problem by loading only one chamber, however this defeated the purpose of having a repeater rifle. The Henry repeating rifle can be considered the Rolls Royce of guns manufactured during the Civil War. Observe the Rifle's Silhouette. If they are twist steel the gun may be an earlier example. Come join the discussion about optics, hunting, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! 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 first such weapon adopted by the US Army was the Model 1855 Colt Revolving Rifle (and a companion carbine), but it had a serious defect in that the gun would often discharge several chambers at once, the extra rounds flying straight into the hand that was holding the barrel up. Rifles were more accurate than smooth bore muskets, and could have been made using shorter barrels. There was also the Model 1859 Sharps rifle, a single-shot breechloader. Similar to the Pattern 1853, this was another British import the Confederates relied upon, mainly their sharpshooters. By the end of the war, approximately 1.5 million Springfield rifle muskets had been produced by the Springfield Armory and 20 subcontractors. Since the South lacked sufficient manufacturing capability, most of the Springfields in Southern hands were captured on the battlefields during the war.[2]. 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. However, most American army officers in 1861 had been schooled in obsolete Napoleonic tactics, especially since many of them had served in the Mexican War, which was still fought in the old way with smoothbore muskets and linear formations. Thus, the short-lived Burnside rifle didn't become a major winner with soldiers during the war. It performed so well under combat conditions that the Confederate armies believed that they had attacked an entire division instead of a single regiment during the Battle of Chickamauga.
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