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Round balls did not fit so tightly into the barrel, and therefore did not suffer from the slow loading problem common to rifles. In comparison to the Springfield's three rounds per minute, the Henry rifle could fire 28 rounds per minute. The Civil War era is an antique arms collector's dream for the same reason it was a nightmare for the Ordnance Department: a dizzying array of weapons and ammunition. Many older Springfield rifle muskets, such as the Model 1855 and 1842, were brought out of storage and used due to arms shortages. [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. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. A popular revolver with both Northern and Southern forces, the Colt Model 1851 Navy was a longstanding Civil War gun that famously is also a hand gun of classic outlaws, Texas rangers, and famed figures of the west like Wild Bill Hickok. 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 Lorenz was a bit like playing craps, if craps entailed being killed if the dice were faulty. 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. More interestingly, there is evidence that at least 7 Confederate brigades possessed Burnside carbines and used them in battle. The carbine was the first ever produced to use metallic cartridges (not to be confused with the first self-contained metallic cartridge) and was very popular with its shooters. The six shooter, single action black powder gun could do some damage to an opponent up to about 100 yards away. The Whitworth rifle featured a unique hexagonal shaped bullet (with a matching hexagonal barrel) that gave it superior accuracy. The rifle was completely original and still retains almost all its blue coloring on the barrel. Save my name and email to use for future comments. Available May 2022. Thus, there's a small chance that non-standard weapons could've been used in combat or were at least manufactured during the 1860s. 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. [7] At 500 yards a trained shooter could hit a man-sized target about half the time. 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. Due to this, it's statistically more likely for a family with a Union ancestor to have an Enfield in their collection than a Confederate family is to. The Austrian-made firearm was used by both sides and was considered by some to be superior to the 1853 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. 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. We would take the wadding apart and lay it flat and turn it into something like a jigsaw puzzle. To determine the height of the unidentified Civil War soldier, an employee of The Horse Soldier store in Gettysburg, Pa . Christopher Spencers design limited the chance of dirt and other obstructions from rendering the carbine non-functional, an important feature for a rifle bound for battle. The Colt revolver made its way to be the second most common military hand gun of the Confederacy. [8] A lack of training resulted not only in poor accuracy but in mishandling which could render the rifle useless. So there you have it, the top 7 most desirable Civil War guns for collectors and Civil War enthusiasts alike. For years, one of the standard manuals used in the US Army had been an 1835 translation by General Winfield Scott of a French work. Explore this article. Please help in identifying this firearm. 6. Nevertheless, the rifles were heavily imported with an estimated 350,000 making their way into the hands of both Union and Confederate soldiers. However the 1861 Special Model is correct as the real difference are in the shape of bolster on the barrel, the shallow notch for the bolster in the lock plate, and the hammer which is unique to the 1861 Special Model. This is most definitely a sporting arm and not a military arm. In our 2019 May Premier Auction, we had four Colt Model 1860 Army revolver sell at auction. The Spencer carbine, on the other hand, was widely utilized, with around 90,000 being produced for the war effort. The purchase was agreed to by none other than General John Fremont (who is infamous for another shady firearms deal). Old Winchester rifles are synonymous with the America during the 19th century, Civil War Political Cartoons: Behind the History, Cartoons haven't always been used to bring humor to the Sunday newspapers; rather, throughout history, they've been used to illustrate the pulse of contemporary society. Because of this, soldiers were frequently outfitted with firearms that were made decades before the fight even started. Most of these new rifle-muskets still had to be loaded between . The first contract called for 5,000 Model 1861 caliber .36 revolvers at a cost of $12 each. 1861. In this situation, anecdotal evidence and photographs or written documentation placing a specific rifle in the period can be very helpful. The telescopic sights were more accurate, but had a reputation for bruising the user's eye due to the rifle's recoil. The Henry rifle had a copper or brass cartridge that effectively sealed the breech of the gun so that the hot propellant gases would be held inside of the gun. The men's main complaint about these rifles was that the unusually shaped cartridge often got stuck in the barrel after firing. Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Army smoothbore infantry musket. Thus, the short-lived Burnside rifle didn't become a major winner with soldiers during the war. But there were plenty of examples of poorly crafted Lorenzs, as historian Joseph Bilby has noted: The 125th Illinois was issued Austrian rifle-muskets in .58 caliber of which not over one-half were perfectmany will not explode a cap. The 125ths regimental historian complained that some of the Austrian guns nipples were not entirely drilled out, and some could not mount a bayonet without hammering it on. PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING! Sharps rifles of the Civil War era tend to be unique and more sought after Civil War rifle finds. Countless firearm experts have lent their own perspective to the subject, and a few contemporary books to check out are: Rifles from the Civil War are important pieces of history, and as such, they can command top prices from avid collectors, military enthusiasts, and Civil War fanatics. 25,000 tube-lock Austrian M1842 muskets were imported via the firm of Kruse, Drexel, and Schmidt, out of a total of 68,505 Austrian muskets imported by the North during the war. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" The Apostle Paul in Romans 1:22. 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. That is definitely at the high end of the pricing spectrum. Nevertheless, the Federal government did eventually purchase thousands of these weapons, and thousands more were purchased by Union soldiers using their own money. Another had identified it as Austrian: Muster 1842 k.k. By Katharine Houreld. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. However, the military was still using tactics such as firing by ranks, and feared that shorter barrels would result in soldiers in the back ranks accidentally shooting front rank soldiers in the back of the head. 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. Length of barrel is 42 inches. Both sides fielded what ever guns could be . Arms and Equipment of the Civil War. What kind of French muskets? This was converted from tubelock to percussion by Henry Leman of Lancaster, PA, in converted from tubelock to percussion by Henry Leman of Lancaster, PA, in late 1862 or early 1863. Crisis averted, but the . For this reason, many Civil . This was one of the best examples of a Model 1851 revolver to pass through RIAC. 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 . Chambered in the powerful .45-70 Government, the rifle was the choice of many commercial buffalo hunters on the American frontier. What were the top long guns from the American Civil War? They are found, though, in many forms. Behind the Sharps, it was the most used cavalry carbine of the war. To combat the arms shortage, the Union and Confederacy both imported large quantities of rifles from Europe, with each side buying whatever they could get. Theres little wonder that, Hugh Lowther, the fifth Earl of Lonsdale, squandered a massive fortune through his generosity and out-sized reputation as a womanizer, horseman, Sooner or later, everything old is new again, author Stephen King wrote in his 2005 crime thriller, The Colorado Kid. This sentiment certainly. Most rifles of this era were muzzle loaded rifled muskets. Dec 13, 2014. When not at his press or the range he can be found chasing mule deer around the Rocky Mountains. 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. [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. 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. The Civil War was a time of great social and political upheaval. William Brooke Johns, Hidden in Plain Sight: Compiled Service Records as Sources for Confederate Arms and Equipment, Firearms Genealogy: The Impossible Takes Longer. All rights reserved. The 9-pound, 40-inch-barreled Model 1861 was also a more reliable weapon than preceding military arms through the use of percussion caps. However, it was the invention of the Mini ball which ultimately solved the problem of the slow-loading rifle. With seven rounds of .56-56 Spencer rimfire on tap, the rifle delivered overwhelming firepower for the time. The enterprising Confederates adapted these rifles to better suit their needs. army service. It was basically a Joslyn Carbine action fitted to a 1863 Springfield barrel and stock (though heavily modified). 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. Although it had a .577 caliber bore it could use the same .58 caliber Mini ball as the Springfield. Starting in 1850 and throughout the Civil War, roughly 100,000 Sharps carbines were produced for military use. The rifling also improved precision over traditional musket. The rear sight on this one is very creative, since Leman removed the Austrian rear sight when he converted the weapons. . My gut feeling is that when new it was at least a middle grade gun. The third most widely used weapon of the Civil War was the Lorenz Rifle. These numbers can be printed on the stock, butt, and gun's barrel, depending on the manufacturer and model. 8. Be sure to keep an eye on our catalog so you dont miss out on your next chance to bid on the Civil War gun your collection needs. The Confederates made attempts to acquire these weapons, but they lacked the technological ability to reproduce them or their ammunition. The differences between the Model 1860 Army and the Model 1851 Navy were the Army has bigger grips and a rounder look, and a more powerful caliber as compared to .36 caliber and smaller boxier design of the Navy. Visit the Civil War Arms Index. Each of Rock Island Auction Company's Premier and Sporting & Collector Firearms auctions include collectible U.S. martial arms from 18 th, 19 th, and 20 th centuries, but no era has the variety of interesting American firearms . These differences made it easy to operate from horseback with accuracy, and this accuracy is what inspired the English term, "sharpshooter." 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. 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. The rifling also improved precision over traditional musket. The Lorenz rifle was originally .54 caliber. Since the 17th century, infantry normally fought in a tight shoulder-to-shoulder line and fired volleys at each other. I HAVE I HEAVY BARREL TARGET RIFLE FROM THE CIVIL WAR. If needed all that had to be done was put the caps on nipples and it was ready to shoot.. Engagements, however, generally happened at much closer range, making the 1861 all the more deadly. The gun is 50" long and 36" from the . The new repeater rifles would see fairly limited use in the Civil War. After attending a demonstration firing, President Lincoln was impressed enough to give it his approval. Linear formations were thus rarely seen any more (although it did occur in the Battle of Brawner's Farm the evening before Second Bull Run). Rifles were more accurate than smooth bore muskets, and could have been made using shorter barrels. 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. Cannonballs were solid, round objects that would ricochet off the ground and often used to target fortifications and enemy artillery. you read and agreed to the, American Civil War Artifacts & Collectibles. United Kingdom:Greenwood Press. These rifles were used by both the United States of America ("Union") and the Confederate States of America. When it comes to fierce battles, rich history, and a wealth of innovative weapons, its hard to match the Civil War era. Model 1855 rifles were fairly common. Their primary use was anti-materiel such as setting fire to vehicles and ammunition, since their fragmentary properties were deemed at best to cause unnecessarily cruel wounds. Western armies were slower to obtain Springfield rifles, and they were not widely used there until the middle of 1863. This had to be one of the finest Spencer rifles still surviving today. It is a nice looking shotgun as far as I can see. 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 . The most widely accepted figure estimates 620,000 men lost their lives in the four years of war. In our 2018 December Premier Auction, RIAC sold a U.S. Colt Model 1851 Navy percussion revolver for $4,600. Single-Shot Rifle. [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. These tactics developed because smoothbore muskets were only accurate at short ranges. 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. [2] Soldiers were often forced to use older smooth bore and flintlock muskets, which had been considered to be obsolete, simply because the newer rifles were not available in sufficient quantities. Most suggestions that I have received is the Whitney/Plymouth Naval rifle. Interestingly enough, Colt Manufacturing sent around 2,200 Model 1860 Colts to the South on contract early in the war. I don't know anything about your "rifle" except to tell you that it is NOT a rifle, it is a double barreled shotgun. 10,000 of the muskets were sent to Hall, Carrol and Co and Greenwood and Co, both of Cincinnati, Ohio. Small-caliber projectiles are among the most frequently-found artifacts at military sites. Like the Springfield, this was a three-band, single-shot, muzzle-loading rifle musket. 3. Despite the rifles impressive capabilities the British military did not adopt the .451-caliber Whitworth. This page is not available in other languages. [20][25] Later in the war, even factory-direct Lorenz rifles tended to be of poor craftsmanship. k.k. Near the breech on the octagonal barrel is 78192, Length of the barrel please and I should be able to give you an answer. 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. Again, the high level of condition shown is rare to come by with Civil War guns considering the predicted heavy use and age of the firearms. It is said Gen. Hiram Berdan had to circumvent his superiors and essentially appeal to President Lincoln himself to get the Sharps in play. Many soldiers were forced to use their own personal hunting rifles, which were typically Kentucky or Pennsylvania type rifles. [7][22] Depending on the location where they were manufactured, these were known as Richmond or Fayetteville rifles. Springfield, Sharp, Henry, Spencer and the Austrian Lorentz. And it can still be found harvesting game today. The action was excellent which is more than one can ask for in a gun that is over 150 years old. What might be surpr. (2017). We have an old rifle that has been passed on through my wife's family from, we believe, the Ciivil War. 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 seven-shot Spencer was produced in rifle and carbine versions, although the latter was more common. These home goods ranged from coats to shoes to even weapons. It appears be a percussion muzzle loading shotgun, not a rifle. At 56 inches long and weighing nine pounds, the Model 1861 was a single-shot, muzzleloading rifle that used the percussion cap mechanism to fire a .58 caliber Mini ball. #4. Bridesburg Model 1861. Extraordinary Civil War Era Sharps New Model 1863 percussion Saddle Ring carbine. The key may be pinned and not come all the way out. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Thank you for the quick and enlightening responses. For questions or more information about our firearms or policies, call us at (877) 214-9327 or email info@collectorsfirearms.com . Most of the regular army was equipped with them in 1861, and the Confederates had a few thousand that had been stored in Southern arsenals. The accuracy of the Whitworth was often exaggerated, but it was capable of hitting a man sized target beyond 1,000 yards. When one side gained the upper hand, they would finish off the attack with a bayonet charge. As a result, cavalry came to be used mainly for raiding and scouting, and seldom participated in major battles. 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. But there were relatively few that did. Disease in an era before antibiotics was the main culprit to these horrendous figures, more than 2 percent of the countrys population then. It used a percussion lock, was similar in length, and had three barrel bands, like the Springfield and Enfield. This. 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. It was capable of firing three rounds a minute at an effective range of 500 yards but could be deadly at longer ranges. Rock Island Auction Company has a wide variety of Civil War guns in our Premier and Regional Auctions. These used the less reliable Maynard tape primer firing mechanism which when damp could cause misfires, a flaw that had forced its original retirement in 1860 until it was re-introduced to meet the arms shortage. With all due respect, the rear sight is the same as on the 1863 Springfield. for cover. Check to see if it is still loaded. Along with a revised 1863 model, it was the last muzzle-loading weapon ever adopted by the US Army. Another new characteristic of this war, for all the enduring need for artillery, is the primacy of precision weapons over the major military platforms that have dominated the battlefield for more . The caplock replaced the flintlock, improving performance in wet weather and allowing for a slightly higher rate of fire, and the use of rifling with mechanically fitted bullets was tested by several inventors. 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. Prohibitive cost, however, stymied wider adoption. However, the Sharps carbine was very common, with over 90,000 produced. The second most widely used weapon of the Civil War, and the most widely used weapon by the Confederates, was the British Pattern 1853 Enfield. They were to be shipped with the special brass priming tubes. Given the Souths smaller manufacturing base compared to the North, it was imperative it import arms. This musket has been identified as one having been purchased by the Confederacy due to chronic arms shortages throughout the conflict. 1 rifle sold in 2020 for $51,750 at Rock Island Auction Company. Griffith,P.(2001). Others, especially those in later purchases, were described as horrible in both design and condition. List of Civil War Rifles and Their Unique Features, Civil War Weapons: A Closer Look at History, Winchester Firearms Values of Antique Models, Civil War Weapons: An Illustrated Guide to the Wide Range of Weaponry Used on the Battlefield, Civil War Firearms: Their Historical Background and Tactical Use. Appraiser, Seller and Dealer of Civil War Guns to include Revolvers, Pistols, Rifles, Muskets, Carbines and Cannons, Union and Confederate. Musket balls are one of the earliest forms of projectiles that were fired from muskets and rifles. Even with this flaw, the Burnside went on to become the third most used carbine of the war, behind the Sharps and Spencer, seeing action in nearly every battle in the conflict. 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. And despite its overall popularity with the troops, few of the rifle variation made it into their hands. It is close, but not quite right. However, new research pegs it higher at 750,000, even 850,000. The American Civil War still remains the deadliest conflict in our nation's history. The Springfield was such a widely used rifle that most Civil War re-enactors own one for use in their battles. Tests conducted by the U.S. Army indicated that the .58 caliber was more accurate at a distance. United States:University Press of Kansas.

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