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Calibre .52 and Gwyn and Campbell carbine, Prussian Muskets (hand-written onto form), Austrian Muskets (hand-written onto form), This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 17:08. Only 13,000 Spencer rifles were purchased by the Union. In April of 2018, a desirable Sharps Model 1853 slant breech percussion carbine sold for $12,650 at auction. Napoleon normally always tried to rout opposing armies from the field after softening their line with massed artillery barrages. I must admit I have never seen a pair of hammers like those before. If needed all that had to be done was put the caps on nipples and it was ready to shoot.. This rifle was mostly used by Confederate snipers. [7] At 500 yards a trained shooter could hit a man-sized target about half the time. [5], Historian Allen C. Guelzo argues that one technical reason such short ranges persisted was the continued use of black powder. [20][25] Later in the war, even factory-direct Lorenz rifles tended to be of poor craftsmanship. I can't tell from the pictures if the barrels are Damascus or not. Civil War U.S. Springfield Model 1861 Percussion Rifle-Musket Dated 1862 with Bayonet. The most widely accepted figure estimates 620,000 men lost their lives in the four years of war. The US adopted the breechloading 1866 Springfield "Trapdoor" infantry rifle built from surplus rifle-musket parts after the war. If you don't know anything about them, I would not recommend trying to take it apart to show them. Forum, DDC42030-F585-4F92-B823-49A679E01E19.jpeg, 3ABEA3B2-F434-4B20-8432-553099FB0982.jpeg, 3A863C0B-4D25-41C2-BE49-FD017E05A9F8.jpeg, 376D9B33-1DE3-4CE3-AC10-E032DD55FB5D.jpeg, 61689209-F215-4F7E-896C-D39323C89621.jpeg. 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. 7. The American Revolution was foughtand wonwith guns, and the weapons have become ingrained in U.S. culture, but the invention of firearms started long before colonists ever settled . Black powder fouled the rifling in the barrel and produced thick clouds of smoke which hung about the battlefield and obscured targets. The 130th Illinois reported that one-third or three-eights of these arms [Austrian] are defective.. The North was thus able to supply its own small arms needs, while the South had to continue to rely on foreign sources, eventually purchasing 580,000 rifles. United States:Lyons Press. The second contract at the same . 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. At the same time, Northern rifle and gun manufacturers such as Sharps, Colt, Remington, and the Springfield Armory quickly increased their production of rifles;[18] Springfield alone increased its annual output from 20,000 to 200,000. There was also the Model 1859 Sharps rifle, a single-shot breechloader. This appears to have been issued to the 61st Infantry Regiment (Hungarian) (Graf von Strassoldo), Company A, 4th weapon, when it was in k.k. These numbers can be printed on the stock, butt, and gun's barrel, depending on the manufacturer and model. The South didnt have the manufacturing ability to produce the guns they needed, so they contracted 5,000 to be produced overseas. In the decades leading up to the Civil War, several advances helped make the rifle a more practical weapon for the average soldier. The men's main complaint about these rifles was that the unusually shaped cartridge often got stuck in the barrel after firing. Some were considered to be of the finest quality, and were sometimes praised as being superior to the Enfield. Many unique Civil War revolvers and rifles can be found at Rock Island Auction Company. The telescopic sights were more accurate, but had a reputation for bruising the user's eye due to the rifle's recoil. We did not manufacture guns of this nature in the US. Some southern cavalry and guerrillas used shotguns but their barrels were cut off short. The rifle showed gray patina and mild wear from use which is pretty astounding considering the age. [18][20] Introduced in 1854 for the Austrian armed forces, the North imported 226,924 Lorenz rifles during the war while the South imported at least 100,000. While most shoulder fired rifles during the time fired a bullet between 350 and 500 grains propelled by 40 to 60 grains of powder the Henry rifle shot a small .44 bullet of only 200 grains and 26 to 28 grains of black powder, giving it a quite short range. Our most recent sale of a Civil War 4th Model presentation grade Burnside rifle was in our May 2019 auction. The purchase was agreed to by none other than General John Fremont (who is infamous for another shady firearms deal). The quality of Lorenz rifles during the Civil War was not consistent. For instance, one was produced specially for African-American troops, and another for Zouave units. One of the few standard-issue exploding bullets was designed by Samuel Gardiner Jr. for the Union Army. 60th North Carolina Infantry Inscribed Rifle. During the American Civil War, the rifle was the most common weapon found on the battlefield. Near the breech on the octagonal barrel is 78192, Length of the barrel please and I should be able to give you an answer. The rifled musket was the dominant military long-gun design of the day and, as its name suggests, was a stepping stone between the musket and rifle. I would guess the gun originated in Belgium. Guns with a story and background are extremely interesting and exciting to collect with the Civil War era being a time that has many tales to tell. Appraiser, Seller and Dealer of Civil War Guns to include Revolvers, Pistols, Rifles, Muskets, Carbines and Cannons, Union and Confederate. p. 73-74, Coggins,J. This was not Britains first go-around with a rifle bound to shoot Mini-style projectiles. It was also a time of great technological change. In September of 2018, RIAC sold a Paris marked First Model Le Mat revolver for $17,250. Small shipments of this high caliber percussion rifle were delivered to the United States Armies during the Civil War. Serendipitously, Sir Whitworth found another market for his rifle at the outset of the American Civil War the Confederates. [11], Breechloading and repeating rifles promised significant improvements over muzzleloading rifles, particularly repeaters as they allowed a far greater rate of fire than was possible with single-shot rifles. In our 2019 May Premier Auction, we had four Colt Model 1860 Army revolver sell at auction. Table of Contents. 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. Officially, less than 2,000 of the revolutionary, lever-action repeating rifles were procured by the Union. This rifled musket , with the lock marking "1861 Springfield" and an eagle, was the principal infantry arm of the civil war. Engagements, however, generally happened at much closer range, making the 1861 all the more deadly. 1860. Christian Sharps falling-block still stirs the hearts of marksmen today. By Katharine Houreld. And it can still be found harvesting game today. Starting in 1850 and throughout the Civil War, roughly 100,000 Sharps carbines were produced for military use. The gun was very popular with the army because of its large caliber .42 caliber and up to 100 yard firing range and 9 shot capability. The Lorenz rifle was similar in design to the Enfield rifle-musket. If sending a check or money order, please mail, payable to: The History Store P.O. During the American Civil War, an assortment of small arms found their way onto the battlefield.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 . However, some soldiers personally bought the Civil War gun before the government approved a contract. Where a domestically produced rifle would cost around $25, a cased Whitworth with 1,000 rounds of ammunition would cost a stunning $1,000. A Colt Model 1860 Army revolver, shipped to New Orleans on April 9, 1861, only three days before the Confederates attacked Fort Sumter. 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). April 28, 2023 at 6:36 a.m. EDT. Given that these rifles were infrequently used in the war, it's unlikely to find these rifles at auction. army weapons were often marked with unit markings on the barrels, butt plates, or side plates. By the end of the war, approximately 1.5 million Springfield rifle muskets had been produced by the Springfield Armory and 20 subcontractors. Manufactured in New Haven, Connecticut, these rifles have an iconic gold lever-action mechanism and blue finish. 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. It had a rifled barrel, and fired the .58 caliber Mini ball. In the decades leading up to the Civil War, numerous advances had been made in weapons. Email us at Mail@HistoricalArms.net or call 440-744-9088 (11am - 8pm Eastern Time) The Confederates made attempts to acquire these weapons, but they lacked the technological ability to reproduce them or their ammunition. [20], The second-most widely used rifle of the Civil War, and the weapon most widely used by the Confederates, was the British Pattern 1853 Enfield. Griffith,P.(2001). Extremely rare LeMat percussion grape shot revolver. These were usually clones of existing designs and tended to be poor quality due to shortages of raw material and skilled labor. These rifles, while more accurate than smoothbore muskets, had been designed for hunting, and fired less deadly smaller caliber ammunition. Thank you. If . In a conflict dominated by muzzleloaders and single-shot rifles, the Spencer Repeating Rifle had to have seemed like a godsend. [17], An alternative type of rifle ammunition which saw use during the Civil War was the exploding bullet. Disease in an era before antibiotics was the main culprit to these horrendous figures, more than 2 percent of the countrys population then. 2.6K views, 382 likes, 124 loves, 77 comments, 48 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from NET25: Mata ng Agila International | April 20, 2023 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. A common practice was to load them and leave precussion cap off. Tests conducted by the U.S. Army indicated that the .58 caliber was more accurate at a distance. Originally produced at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield, England, approximately 900,000 of these muskets were imported during 18611865, seeing use in every major battle from Shiloh onward. Any identification marks are most likely on the bottom of the barrels, under the wood. With an effective range of 600 paces, troops could fire three rounds per minute with an accuracy of up to 500 yards. This rifle was invented in 1854 by Austrian lieutenant Joseph Lorenz. The Whitworth rifle featured a unique hexagonal shaped bullet (with a matching hexagonal barrel) that gave it superior accuracy. These tactics developed because smoothbore muskets were only accurate at short ranges. [11] The 14th Illinois once attempted target practice with a barrel set up 180 yards from the firing line, but of 160 shots fired only four actually hit it. LIFE ; TECH ; How to Identify Revolutionary War Musket Balls. Please help in identifying this firearm. To determine the height of the unidentified Civil War soldier, an employee of The Horse Soldier store in Gettysburg, Pa . Besides the Henry, no other long gun could provide a shooter with 7 rounds before having to reload. There are numerous accounts of Union soldiers connecting shots from just shy of 1,000 yards with the revolutionary Sharps. On this Day in the Life, I describe some of the observations necessary to identify Civil War bullets. This weapon gave the Union an advantage over the Confederate troops. The first mass-produced American rifled musket, the 1861 was the most utilized long arm of the Civil War. Surveying a number of battles, they found that Civil War combat still largely took place at ranges similar to or slightly better than smoothbore muskets, suggesting no revolution had taken place in the way war was conducted. This Enfield model 1853 was commonly used by both Union and Confederate infantry troops during the Civil War. The Henry repeating rifle can be considered the Rolls Royce of guns manufactured during the Civil War. The 9-pound, 40-inch-barreled Model 1861 was also a more reliable weapon than preceding military arms through the use of percussion caps. Outstanding Civil War U.S. Springfield Model 1861 percussion rifle-musket dated 1862 with bayonet. Traditionally, mounted soldiers carried a lance, sword, or pistol and could sweep enemy infantry weakened by artillery or musket fire. Nevertheless, the Federal government did eventually purchase thousands of these weapons, and thousands more were purchased by Union soldiers using their own money. But weaponry advancements also played a large role. 27, No. I have a Sharps New Model 1859 rifle barrel. Inventors and military men devised new types of weapons, such . Such bullets were included in each packet of regular ammunition and designed to clear any residue out of the barrel when fired. Both sides accused the other of using poisoned bullets, and while neither government authorized their use and manufacture, it is possible that individuals modified their bullets in this way. Most rifles of this era were muzzle loaded rifled muskets. United Kingdom:Greenwood Press. During the American Civil War, an assortment of small arms found their way onto the battlefield. Besides being known for his poor generalship, stylish facial hair and being the first president of the NRA, Ambrose Burnside was also a firearms innovator. Western armies were slower to obtain Springfield rifles, and they were not widely used there until the middle of 1863. Since the South lacked sufficient manufacturing capability, most of the Springfields in Southern hands were captured on the battlefields during the war.[2]. Most of these new rifle-muskets still had to be loaded between . When in flight however the cleaning components gave the impression of being exploding bullets. The side with the best production plants and firepower was ultimately more likely to win the war. The Colt repeating rifle was one of the first repeating rifles, alongside with the Henry. Confederate General Braxton Braggs LeMat revolver realized an incredible $103,500 during Rock Island Auction Company's December 2021 Premier Firearms Auction. In fact, antique gun collectors come in all shapes and sizes. Spencer rifles were the first successful repeater used in the United States. With seven rounds of .56-56 Spencer rimfire on tap, the rifle delivered overwhelming firepower for the time. The benefit of this Civil War rifle was that it could be fired in rapid succession without pausing to reload after each shot. Reference materials are a must-have for any person interested in Civil War firearms or antique firearm collecting in general. The Brunswick was a muzzle loader rifle that was manufactured for the British Army in the early 19th century. As such, officers typically failed to realize the power of rifles and continued to launch massed attacks against fortified enemies, which invariably resulted in heavy losses. Along with a revised 1863 model, it was the last muzzle-loading weapon ever adopted by the US Army. According to US Army records, up to 200,000 fragmentation bullets were ordered from Ira W. Shaler, although there is no evidence they were actually issued to troops. 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 . [1] Accordingly, during the first two years of the war soldiers from both sides used a wide variety of rifles, including many that were over 50 years old and were considered obsolete. A few fell into Confederate hands, but proved largely unusable due to a lack of ammunition (the Confederacy had insufficient supplies of copper to manufacture the Spencer's rimfire cartridges). . The rifle itself was in well used condition showing age on the steel and patina in areas, but the significant story behind the model made it sell well. Back in our 2018 December Premiere Auction, RIAC sold a standard, good conditioned Springfield Model 1861 for $3,163. A large variety of weapons were used during the Civil War, with rifles being the primary firearm soldiers employed during fighting. Designed by the famous Civil War General Ambrose Burnside in 1853 before the war, the Burnside carbine was originally produced, delivered, and trialed to the United States government in 1858. 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. Five different models were manufactured and approximately 43 Union cavalry regiments used the Burnside exclusively. 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). Are there any stamping on the barrels or locks? [1][2], One significant advantage the rifled musket had over the smoothbore was its effective range. The Civil War rifle was the model that John Brown used in his raid of Harpers Ferry. Examples altered by them feature a cone-in-barrel conversion, and some are fitted with a US M1855 style long range sight and are rifled. The rifles differed from each other mainly in the different "actions" they had. The Model 1841 Mississippi Rifle, the progenitor of the Model 1855 and 1861 Springfield, was still used in the Civil War to a fair degree, especially by Confederate non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and sharpshooters. As the war escalated those arms stockpiles were quickly diminished. The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat: Reality and Myth. [19], The use of more exotic types of ammunition during the Civil War is harder to confirm. This is a good price for a scarce and desirable gun. Nonetheless, Henry and Spencer rifles were used at the December 1864 Battle of Nashville to quite devastating effect. The long gun eventually was approved for battle later in the war and made its first official appearance in the Battle of Gettysburg. 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. #4. Rock Island Auction Company has a wide variety of Civil War guns in our Premier and Regional Auctions. Rifles made this type of fighting obsolete because of their much greater range. In addition, most existing military doctrine was based around the smoothbore musket. Rifled muskets not only blunted the frontal assault by enemy infantry but also neutralized the offensive capabilities of cavalry and field artillery and thereby led to the increased usage of trench warfare. It is said Gen. Hiram Berdan had to circumvent his superiors and essentially appeal to President Lincoln himself to get the Sharps in play. And why not? That is, if you consider a gun designed to fire hexagonal bullets a bit odd. p. 401, SUMMARY STATEMENT of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on hand in the Cavalry Regiments in the Service of the United States during the Second quarter ending June 30, 1864, p. 88, List of weapons in the American Civil War, "Richmond Armory Model 1855 (Richmond Rifle)", "Harpers Ferry Model 1841 (Mississippi Rifle)", "Brunswick Rifle - Confederate Purchased", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rifles_in_the_American_Civil_War&oldid=1151695102, Ballard's rifled. I am confused, do you have one or two weapons? 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. Desirable Civil War era Parisian First Model LeMat grape shot revolver. The Civil War brought many advances in firearms technology, most notably the widespread use of rifled barrels. This was a single shot, muzzle-loading gun that used the percussion cap firing mechanism. Shortly before the Civil War, William J. Hardee (later to become a Confederate lieutenant general) updated it to include information on rifles, but he still assumed the use of linear formations in the book. It used a percussion lock, was similar in length, and had three barrel bands, like the Springfield and Enfield. [18], The third-most widely used rifle of the Civil War, and the most prolific of "second-class" weapons, was the Lorenz Rifle. Considered by many to be the premier Mini-style rifled musket of the day, the Pattern 1853 Enfield could readily outperform its counterparts on the battlefield. Description: IDENTIFIED Civil War CONFEDERATE P1853 Musket. The inventor of the gun was able to mass produce a cartridge that had a powerful powder charge. The key may be pinned and not come all the way out. Visit the Civil War Arms Index. The rounds fired by the Lorenz were considered inferior to the .58 caliber Mini ball, and while the rifle could be rebored to accept a larger bullet the process could affect barrel quality. [7][22] Depending on the location where they were manufactured, these were known as Richmond or Fayetteville rifles. 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 military tried to work around this in various ways, but the Colt Revolving rifle was discontinued. When it comes to fierce battles, rich history, and a wealth of innovative weapons, its hard to match the Civil War era. Check to see if it is still loaded. p. 1-3, Axelrod,A. The Le Mat saw wear-and-tear but still showed good plum and brown patina. 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. Despite the limited quantities that were made during the war, the gun went on to be a massive success in the post-war period, becoming the Winchester model 1866 and launching the Winchester name. 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. These home goods ranged from coats to shoes to even weapons. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. The majority of Le Mats that actually saw use in battle were produced in France and shipped via the United Kingdom to the Confederacy. While the Henry was carried and used by men in the Civil War it was not widely accepted or popular by the military. Therefore, you can't always rely on age to be an indicator as to whether a weapon saw action during the Civil War. However, it established the single-shot metallic cartridge breechloader as a standard infantry weapon, which eventually all modern armies adopted in one form or another. "J.B.L." is visible along with a date "Apr 29 1865" right below the initials. 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. If they are twist steel the gun may be an earlier example. One particular area that tends to see a boost during wars is artillery development and the 1860s assuredly had its fair share of firearm improvements. The first rifled muskets had used a larger .69 caliber Mini ball, since they had simply taken .69 caliber smooth bore muskets and rifled their barrels. . There's a barrel key in the forearm. 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. When it became obvious that the southern states wouldn't win the war, the British government refused to sell any more rifles to the Confederacy, and they were forced to turn to gun runners and private sources for their stores. And the .44 round was relatively weaker compared to the dominant repeater of the time, the Spencer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Springfield was such a widely used rifle that most Civil War re-enactors own one for use in their battles. The rare Confederate Le Mat revolver is another highly desirable Civil War gun. Granville Stuart's Sharps Model 1874 Creedmoor No. This is most definitely a sporting arm and not a military arm. ammunition used by both Union and Confederate armies. When Confederate forces seized the manufacturing equipment from Harpers Ferry, they used it to continue production of the Model 1855 during the war. If well made, it was well regarded. 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. These rifles were also equipped with a bayonet, and have the stereotypical silhouette associated with Civil War reenactments and big-budget Hollywood productions. Battle Tactics of the Civil War. I have a sword it has a straight blade a bent brass hilt, total length 38 1 Smoothbore vs Rifled Musket, a Tactical Reality Check. 1. There were many Southern editions, and at least one Northern edition that omitted Hardee's name from the title page. The Napoleonic cavalry charge was thus made both obsolete and suicidal by rifles. Designed by Jean Alexandre Le Mat with his manufacturing backed by P.G.T. You might also find these guns with long metal ramrods that were used to insert the ammunition into the barrel. The six shooter, single action black powder gun could do some damage to an opponent up to about 100 yards away. Admittedly, I know almost nothing about guns (a fact thats obvious to you). Available May 2022. Shooting 475-grain bullets, thats a lot of lead down range. Realistically, though, hitting anything beyond 500 yards was mostly a matter of luck. As with the Spencer, it provided overwhelming firepower in a conflict dominated by muzzleloaders.

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