My gut feeling is that when new it was at least a middle grade gun. Email us at Mail@HistoricalArms.net or call 440-744-9088 (11am - 8pm Eastern Time) 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. Most suggestions that I have received is the Whitney/Plymouth Naval rifle. With all due respect, the rear sight is the same as on the 1863 Springfield. During the American Civil War, an assortment of small arms found their way onto the battlefield. Extraordinary Civil War Era Sharps New Model 1863 percussion Saddle Ring carbine. Despite these improvements, the Springfields rate of fire was similar to a muskets, around three aimed shots per minute. By the end of the war, approximately 1.5 million Springfield rifle muskets had been produced by the Springfield Armory and 20 subcontractors. The military tried to work around this in various ways, but the Colt Revolving rifle was discontinued. [16], When the American Civil War broke out in April 1861, neither the North (about 360,000 small arms) nor the South (about 240,000) had enough weapons to fight a major war. The Civil War gun was in exceptional condition maintaining almost all its blue on the barrel and having little wear marks. 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 . 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. The rifle potentially had another downside however. In a conflict dominated by muzzleloaders and single-shot rifles, the Spencer Repeating Rifle had to have seemed like a godsend. Like other Springfield rifles it was first produced at the Springfield Armory, but to meet war demands twenty arms manufacturers were contracted to increase production. 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 completely original and still retains almost all its blue coloring on the barrel. 1863. Since the 17th century, infantry normally fought in a tight shoulder-to-shoulder line and fired volleys at each other. associated with the Revolutionary War but are found on sites ranging from the first Spanish expeditions to the American Civil War. Were really interested to find out what it is and maybe gleen some additional history that might be associated with her family. In this image provided by the British Ministry of Defense, on . In April of 2018, a desirable Sharps Model 1853 slant breech percussion carbine sold for $12,650 at auction. 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]. Interestingly enough, Colt Manufacturing sent around 2,200 Model 1860 Colts to the South on contract early in the war. Given the Souths smaller manufacturing base compared to the North, it was imperative it import arms. Arms and Equipment of the Civil War. 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. And it might be one of the most unique long-gun designs of the war, and perhaps overall firearms history. Sharps were the most highly desirable Civil War rifles and carbines for sharpshooters. These Gardiner rounds were similar to the Mini ball but filled with fulminate and a time fuse set to detonate one to three seconds after firing. The speed and reliability of the Spencer is what made it stand above many of the other guns produced at the time. Therefore, you can't always rely on age to be an indicator as to whether a weapon saw action during the Civil War. This weapon gave the Union an advantage over the Confederate troops. One of the most iconic and memorable of all Civil war guns used by the Union during is the Springfield Model 1861 musket. The Springfield Model 1861 was a common Union infantry rifle during the Battle of Antietam. Its external tubular magazine could get fouled or damaged, which was trouble for a weapon thats advantage was rate of fire. Many of these poorer quality weapons were swapped out on the battlefield for Enfield rifle-muskets whenever one became available. In comparison to the Springfield's three rounds per minute, the Henry rifle could fire 28 rounds per minute. It looks like the wood has been sanded and refinished. rimfire) made by the Federal Government (at Springfield Armory) and actually designed for issue to infantrymen was the Model 1865 Springfield Joslyn Rifle, of which only 3,007 were made. The rifles differed from each other mainly in the different "actions" they had. The long gun eventually was approved for battle later in the war and made its first official appearance in the Battle of Gettysburg. Sold for $3,163 in September 2018. Realistically, though, hitting anything beyond 500 yards was mostly a matter of luck. [7] At 500 yards a trained shooter could hit a man-sized target about half the time. 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. The power of a Henry Rifle was comparable in power to military pistols, but that was not enough to be used as a shoulder fired rifle for the military. Like the Springfield, this was a three-band, single-shot, muzzle-loading rifle musket. Many unique Civil War revolvers and rifles can be found at Rock Island Auction Company. 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. What might be surpr. Civil War rifles like the Springfield Model 1861 musket and Sharps were key elements to battle and are sought-after guns by Civil War memorabilia collectors today, while those who fancy handguns seek out Colt Model 1860 Army or Model 1851 Navy revolvers. In our 2018 December Premier Auction, RIAC sold a U.S. Colt Model 1851 Navy percussion revolver for $4,600. Beauregard, a Confederate Civil War general, the Le Mat was created in 1856 before the outbreak of the war. 1 rifle sold in 2020 for $51,750 at Rock Island Auction Company. Click here for more information. Through the American Civil War, there was difficulty with arms manufacturing and keeping soldiers on both sides equipped with the most advanced weaponry of the time. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. This outstanding "finest known" U.S. Army Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver is rated in excellent plus, as issued condition, about as near to mint as possible for a military contract revolver from more than a century and a half ago. If well made, it was well regarded. The accuracy of the Whitworth was often exaggerated, but it was capable of hitting a man sized target beyond 1,000 yards. Thus, the short-lived Burnside rifle didn't become a major winner with soldiers during the war. 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. The Henry repeating rifle can be considered the Rolls Royce of guns manufactured during the Civil War. Whitworth Rifle. The government was impressed with the inventive gun, however, the first carbine order took Burnsides company two years to produce and the government had no money left for contracts to produce more by the time the guns were delivered. 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). [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. But it took some doing to get the rifle variation into the hands of the 1st and 2nd Regiments of U.S. Sharpshooters. While mainly a Union firearm, a few did fall into the hands of the Confederates. 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. Model 1861 Springfield rifle-muskets became one of the favorite longarms for the Union. United States:University Press of Kansas. The price is accredited to the surviving blue finish and gorgeously preserved wood. p. 109-110, Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Army. The new repeater rifles would see fairly limited use in the Civil War. Black powder fouled the rifling in the barrel and produced thick clouds of smoke which hung about the battlefield and obscured targets. 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. Because of this, soldiers were frequently outfitted with firearms that were made decades before the fight even started. 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. Save my name and email to use for future comments. 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. . 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. .44 (takes metallic cartridge), English Sapper rifled, "Enfield" pattern. United States:Dover Publications. Some types of rifles were regionally specific, while others were used across all arenas of the war. 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. Most rifles of this era were muzzle loaded rifled muskets. You can find these rifles in antique auctions around the country for a few thousand dollars, such as with this 1861 Sharps rifle that's listed for $3,499. Typical appearing 1840's to 1860's/early 1870's double barrel muzzleloading shotgun. I HAVE I HEAVY BARREL TARGET RIFLE FROM THE CIVIL WAR. The Impossible Takes Longer Winter 1995, Vol. 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. The Confederacy had at least seven units that were armed with Burnside rifles that had been captured from the Union armies. barrel allowed the use of .58 cal. Nevertheless, the rifles were heavily imported with an estimated 350,000 making their way into the hands of both Union and Confederate soldiers. At least two major battles in the Civil War, Gaines Mill and Gettysburg, saw such attempts, both with predictable results. Some southern cavalry and guerrillas used shotguns but their barrels were cut off short. 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. [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. The percussion musket used .58 caliber Minie balls for ammunition which provided additional range and accuracy for soldiers using the gun. The U.S. is . The Civil War, an era in America history that changed the countrys future. United Kingdom:Greenwood Press. The Civil War brought many advances in firearms technology, most notably the widespread use of rifled barrels. 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. There was also the Model 1859 Sharps rifle, a single-shot breechloader. 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. 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. It appears be a percussion muzzle loading shotgun, not a rifle. I learned this the hard way. 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. 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. We did not manufacture guns of this nature in the US. Take a walk down the brick-lined memory lane with these vintage Lego sets. This may not be a true Sharps, but the historically relevant and rare nature of a Confederate-made copy made this a popular item. 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. hackensack golf club wedding,