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how to identify civil war rifles28 May how to identify civil war rifles

Rifle Musket. The most widely accepted figure estimates 620,000 men lost their lives in the four years of war. 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. A spectacular Civil War U.S. Burnside Fifth Model breech loading saddle ring carbine. It was basically a Joslyn Carbine action fitted to a 1863 Springfield barrel and stock (though heavily modified). To others, they were next to trash. The men's main complaint about these rifles was that the unusually shaped cartridge often got stuck in the barrel after firing. They may be raw castings that were never finished. Extremely rare LeMat percussion grape shot revolver. Like the Henry, the Spencer wasn't used very much by the Confederacy because, although they could capture the weapon, they were unable to get a consistent supply of ammunition necessary. for cover. Due to a lack of munitions manufacturers in the South, the Confederates depended on the British government to procure these weapons. However, these old and obsolete weapons were replaced by newer weapons as they became available. The accuracy of the Whitworth was often exaggerated, but it was capable of hitting a man sized target beyond 1,000 yards. I am confused, do you have one or two weapons? 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. The old gal looks rode hard and put away wet. Yet, Colt collectors are willing to pay even for these less functional firearms, with one recently selling at auction for $2,550. Charles Pate found records while researching his book "The Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver" that indicated this revolver was shipped to Colt's New York sales office, a common destination for many of the fluted cylinder Army revolvers. Not only is the Sharps perhaps one of the most elegant rifles to come out of the Civil War era, it also performed. Civil War Handgun professionals specializing in appraisals of antique revolvers and pistols used by Union and Confederate forces during and before the Civil War. In addition to the expected spherical shape of ball ammunition, there are impacted balls (those that were fired and hit something) and spent balls (those that were fired and eventually ran out of energy without hitting something). Dec 13, 2014. Most of these new rifle-muskets still had to be loaded between . Similar to the Pattern 1853, this was another British import the Confederates relied upon, mainly their sharpshooters. There was an article in a very recent edition of Man at Arms Collector magazine on shotgun use in the Civil War. DANIEL SIVILICH 21 JUL 2017 . This is most definitely a sporting arm and not a military arm. 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 used by both the United States of America ("Union") and the Confederate States of America. Slight improvements were made on the rifle in 1863 and new production Springfield rifles were called the Model 1863. In our 2018 December Premier Auction, RIAC sold a U.S. Colt Model 1851 Navy percussion revolver for $4,600. The rifle potentially had another downside however. Visit the Civil War Arms Index. [18] To combat the arms shortage, the Union and Confederacy both imported large quantities of rifles from Europe, with each side buying whatever it could get. Despite the rifles impressive capabilities the British military did not adopt the .451-caliber Whitworth. Box 160 Llano, Texas 78643 If you have a specific identification question, please see our Identification Request Page. Armies South, Armies North. We have an old rifle that has been passed on through my wifes family from, we believe, the Ciivil War. We buy, sell, identify, authenticate and appraise Antique Civil War and Confederate Firearms of all types, manufactured prior to 1866. Mounted charges gave way to dismounted combat where men would tie up their horses and fight on foot. This page is not available in other languages. The lever action gun could fire off 20 rounds a minute on average making it ten times faster than the traditional muzzleloaders of the time. The Sharps rifle was a falling block rifle that also used a unique pellet primer feed. Serial numbers are a way to pin down an exact date for antique weapons, so long as their manufacturer's historic records are publicly available. Such bullets were included in each packet of regular ammunition and designed to clear any residue out of the barrel when fired. The Austrian-made firearm was used by both sides and was considered by some to be superior to the 1853 Enfield. It is assumed from official records that somewhere around 230,000 Spencer rifles were used in the second half of the war. Bridesburg Model . That is, if you consider a gun designed to fire hexagonal bullets a bit odd. Beauregard, a Confederate Civil War general, the Le Mat was created in 1856 before the outbreak of the war. 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. Table of Contents. Where a domestically produced rifle would cost around $25, a cased Whitworth with 1,000 rounds of ammunition would cost a stunning $1,000. How John Roberts Saved the GOP (and Sparked Its Civil War) - Yahoo 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, The Struggles of a Soldier-Inventor: Capt. Admittedly, I know almost nothing about guns (a fact thats obvious to you). Look at This Historic Enfield Rifle from the Civil War Civil War Hats: Different Types and Where to Find Them, From reenactments to museums, you can find beautifully preserved artifacts detailing the daily lives of Americans during the Civil War. Musket balls are one of the earliest forms of projectiles that were fired from muskets and rifles. Mata ng Agila International | April 20, 2023 | Mata ng Agila - Facebook p. 249-250, Hess,E.J. Behind the Sharps, it was the most used cavalry carbine of the war. In the few weeks between its formation and going into battle, for example, the 24th Michigan had one recorded instance of target practice, during which three men were wounded and one died of a heart attack. Sold for $3,163 in September 2018. But it took some doing to get the rifle variation into the hands of the 1st and 2nd Regiments of U.S. Sharpshooters. Many older Springfield rifle muskets, such as the Model 1855 and 1842, were brought out of storage and used due to arms shortages. Interestingly enough, Colt Manufacturing sent around 2,200 Model 1860 Colts to the South on contract early in the war. Even worse was the state of cavalry tactics. Sharps was without a doubt the finest produced and best functioning carbine of the war. associated with the Revolutionary War but are found on sites ranging from the first Spanish expeditions to the American Civil War. Trying to remove nipples and they would not budge. They are found, though, in many forms. 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. Thank you for the quick and enlightening responses. The quality of Lorenz rifles during the Civil War was not consistent. If needed all that had to be done was put the caps on nipples and it was ready to shoot.. For instance, one was produced specially for African-American troops, and another for Zouave units. I HAVE I HEAVY BARREL TARGET RIFLE FROM THE CIVIL WAR. Civil War Muskets, Rifles & Carbines, Enfield & Springfield - C&C Sutlery The American Civil War of 1861-1865 relied on many different kinds of firearms during the years-long progression of the conflict. The Confederacy, having a very limited ability to produce weapons, bought over 2,000 Brunswick rifles for delivery to their troops. It is suggested by some that the Burnside Carbine was what vaulted Burnside the man to the upper ranks of the Union Army and on to debacles in the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of the Crater. Civil War Guns, Revolvers, Pistols, Union and Confederate Appraiser 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 Lorenz rifle was originally .54 caliber. The Lorenz Rifle (again a rifled musket of the Mini variety) had highly mixed reviews in the Civil War. Prohibitive cost, however, stymied wider adoption. Take a walk down the brick-lined memory lane with these vintage Lego sets. 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). A sketch details the 14th Brooklyn regiment's uniform jacket, vest and kepi. Rock Island Auction Company has a wide variety of Civil War guns in our Premier and Regional Auctions. American soldiers liked it because its .577 cal. Available in Rock Island Auction Companys December Premier Auction is a 2nd Model Burnside Civil War carbine presented by Abraham Lincoln to Kentucky statesman John J. Crittenden. I have a Sharps New Model 1859 rifle barrel. Instead, the .58-caliber rifle (it shot a .577-caliber Mini ball) was an improvement on larger-bore predecessors. The Sharps Carbine, on the other hand, had no such problems. The carbine was the third most used amongst forces during the war only trailing behind the Spencer and Sharps. Small shipments of this high caliber percussion rifle were delivered to the United States Armies during the Civil War. 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. Many soldiers were forced to use their own personal hunting rifles, which were typically Kentucky or Pennsylvania type rifles. [17] Stockpiles of rifles and handguns carried by individual soldiers were limited. 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 . The Civil War brought many advances in firearms technology, most notably the widespread use of rifled barrels. For other collectable antique military firearms, take a look at our inventory of antique U.S. martial pistols and Civil War revolvers, foreign military surplus antique handguns, and foreign military antique long guns. The Confederacy had at least seven units that were armed with Burnside rifles that had been captured from the Union armies. 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 Ask the Pros & What's It Worth? The third most widely used weapon of the Civil War was the Lorenz Rifle. If you can find serial numbers on your antique rifle, you can use digital collections like the Civil War Weapons Search to see if your gun's serial number correlates to a known date. However, there are no greater rifles to collect than these popular models. Once they shot what they had on hand, there was no way to replenish their supplies, given the ammo manufacturers were based in the North. The tubular magazine in the buttstock was quick on the reload too, particularly with the aid of a Blakeslee cartridge tube, which made its appearance later in the war. [18], The third-most widely used rifle of the Civil War, and the most prolific of "second-class" weapons, was the Lorenz Rifle. These old and obsolete weapons were replaced by newer weapons as they became available. I don't know anything about your "rifle" except to tell you that it is NOT a rifle, it is a double barreled shotgun. (2017). These rifles were also equipped with a bayonet, and have the stereotypical silhouette associated with Civil War reenactments and big-budget Hollywood productions. 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. 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. Any identification marks are most likely on the bottom of the barrels, under the wood. Sharps rifles of the Civil War era tend to be unique and more sought after Civil War rifle finds. You can also buy research materials from one of our affiliates at our Books for . Almost all rifles were made with iron barrels, while only some, like the Burnside, used steel, which then was expensive. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. 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. 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. Only about 2,500 made it to the Confederacy by means of their gun runners. 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. The first Model 1861 Springfields were delivered late in that year and during 1862 gradually became the most common weapon carried by Union infantry in the eastern theater. [2] see Rifles had been in use for many years, but prior to the civil war had been rare in military use. In Civil War battles, infantry typically fought in a widely-spread out line, with the men using trees, rocks, buildings, etc. 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. How to classify and identify Civil War rifles like the Henry Repeater. 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. 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. Griffith,P.(2001). We have an old rifle that has been passed on through my wife's family from, we believe, the Ciivil War. 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. It was capable of firing three rounds a minute at an effective range of 500 yards but could be deadly at longer ranges. 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. There's a barrel key in the forearm. It is a great option for a collector on a budget. There are no markings on the shotgun whatsoever aside from some very faint decorative etchings and a couple of tally marks carved into the side of the wood. [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. 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. There were nevertheless drawbacks to these weapons, as early breechloaders leaked gas at the breech and repeaters were technically complex and required metallic cartridges which could be unreliable. Please help in identifying this firearm. Military leaders therefore preferred the faster loading smooth bore weapons over the more accurate rifles. The American Civil War still remains the deadliest conflict in our nations history. The Civil War witnessed a technological revolution in weaponry. The only breechloading rifle (not built as a carbine like the Burnside) firing a primed-metallic cartridge (a .50 cal. This musket has been identified as one having been purchased by the Confederacy due to chronic arms shortages throughout the conflict. Rifles were more accurate than smooth bore muskets, and could have been made using shorter barrels. 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. The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat: Reality and Myth. Hi. The action was excellent which is more than one can ask for in a gun that is over 150 years old. Many officers, however, preferred the Springfield muskets over the Enfield musketslargely due to the interchangeability of parts that the machine-made Springfields offered. Starting in 1850 and throughout the Civil War, roughly 100,000 Sharps carbines were produced for military use. Identifying A Firearm | American Civil War Forum Whereas a smoothbore musket like the Brown Bess could be expected to accurately hit a target at a distance of several dozen yards, rifled muskets were reasonably accurate at a distance of 500 yards. A large number were bored out to .58 caliber so that they could use the same ammunition as the Springfield and Enfield rifle-muskets. Turkish evacuation plane shot at as latest cease-fire struggles in Sudan. 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. Manufactured in New Haven, Connecticut, these rifles have an iconic gold lever-action mechanism and blue finish. The highest selling Colt Model 1860 revolver in May was a Confederate shipped fluted cylinder model and sold for $12,650. Rifles made this type of fighting obsolete because of their much greater range. Some good pictures to go along with the article. 2023 LoveToKnow Media. 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. Typically, these rifles featured three metal bands along the long, narrow barrels with percussion cap mechanisms. Some shotguns were used in the very beginning, mostly by southern troops but were discarded after the first battle or two when better weapons were acquired from the dead. E. Remington & Sons on June 13, 1862, entered into two Army contracts. What kind of French muskets? [20][25] Later in the war, even factory-direct Lorenz rifles tended to be of poor craftsmanship. Spencer rifles and carbines are highly desirable Civil War guns to military memorabilia collectors. 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. 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. 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. Small Arms of the Civil War | American Battlefield Trust Henry Rifle. The Colt revolver made its way to be the second most common military hand gun of the Confederacy. Rock Island Auction Company's December 2021 Premier Firearms Auction. This rifle was invented in 1854 by Austrian lieutenant Joseph Lorenz. 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. The Civil War gun was a breech loading falling block in .52 caliber and proved to have excellent accuracy and rapid-fire ability. [13][14] Cost was also an issue: in an era where a soldier earned $10-13 a month and a rifled musket might cost $10-20 to manufacture, a repeating rifle might cost $37-65 to manufacture. The Lorenz was a bit like playing craps, if craps entailed being killed if the dice were faulty. Since the 17th century, infantry normally fought in a tight shoulder-to-shoulder line and fired volleys at each other. The markings identify the regiment, battalion or company, and the weapon within that unit. 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. April 28, 2023 at 6:36 a.m. EDT. Therefore, you can't always rely on age to be an indicator as to whether a weapon saw action during the Civil War. 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. The Le Mat saw wear-and-tear but still showed good plum and brown patina. 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. Many of these poorer quality weapons were swapped out on the battlefield for Enfield rifle-muskets whenever one became available. The Springfield Model 1861 was a common Union infantry rifle during the Battle of Antietam. Whitworth Rifle. In fact, this rifle was the first breechloader ever made in any national armory that fired a primed metallic cartridge. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. With a B.S. These were usually clones of existing designs and tended to be poor quality due to shortages of raw material and skilled labor. In order for rifling to impart a spin upon a projectile it has to have a tight fit, and with weapons of the time being muzzleloaders this made it much slower to load and fire a rifle compared to a musket. How to Identify Revolutionary War Musket Balls - Synonym We did not manufacture guns of this nature in the US. Jackson had little luck with sales of the carbine until the Civil War broke out. Granville Stuart's Sharps Model 1874 Creedmoor No. The conical projectile, developed by French Army officer Claude-Etienne Mini in 1849, delivered before then unheard-of accuracy to military long guns. [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. 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 bored out versions were not consistent in caliber, ranging from .57 to .59. Firearms. Advertisements. Hi. 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.[1]. In fact, antique gun collectors come in all shapes and sizes. Model 1861 Springfield rifle-muskets became one of the favorite longarms for the Union. Desirable Civil War era Parisian First Model LeMat grape shot revolver. If it was manufactured between 1860-1864, chances are pretty high that it was used in some capacity in the war. A Colt Model 1860 Army revolver, shipped to New Orleans on April 9, 1861, only three days before the Confederates attacked Fort Sumter. 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. Given that these rifles were infrequently used in the war, it's unlikely to find these rifles at auction. For this reason, many Civil War guns are still quite popular among firearm enthusiasts. They were expensive to manufacture and only 11,000 were produced, most of which were unissued or went to sharpshooters. The rare Confederate Le Mat revolver is another highly desirable Civil War gun. Civil War Artillery: Ammunition - No Vice & No Virtue [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. Like the musket, the projectile was smaller than the bore, allowing for fast loading, even when the arm was fouled with black-powder residue. [18][20], Some soldiers considered the Enfield to be superior to the Springfield in terms of quality and accuracy. (2001). The Civil War rifle was the model that John Brown used in his raid of Harpers Ferry. As the war escalated those arms stockpiles were quickly diminished. [1] Stockpiles of rifles and handguns carried by individual soldiers were limited. However, some soldiers personally bought the Civil War gun before the government approved a contract. The Confederates made attempts to acquire these weapons, but they lacked the technological ability to reproduce them or their ammunition. army service. 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. More interestingly, there is evidence that at least 7 Confederate brigades possessed Burnside carbines and used them in battle. During 1863, Sharps was the carbine prominently used by Union soldiers. Army smoothbore infantry musket. The first mass-produced American rifled musket, the 1861 was the most utilized long arm of the Civil War. Western armies were slower to obtain Springfield rifles, and they were not widely used there until the middle of 1863. The telescopic sights were more accurate, but had a reputation for bruising the user's eye due to the rifle's recoil.

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