However, new research pegs it higher at 750,000, even 850,000. Can anyone identify this firearm? Extraordinary Civil War Era Sharps New Model 1863 percussion Saddle Ring carbine. With all due respect, the rear sight is the same as on the 1863 Springfield. 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. It was a advertisement at a market. It may have English proofs. 1 rifle sold in 2020 for $51,750 at Rock Island Auction Company. The Confederacy, having a very limited ability to produce weapons, bought over 2,000 Brunswick rifles for delivery to their troops. Available May 2022. Yes Sir, I unloaded one just the other day. The Spencer had an excellent reputation in combat, with a sustainable rate of fire of 20 rounds per minute. 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. This rare Spencer Model 1860 carbine is identified as a War Department pattern gun and the top of the breech end of the barrel is bearing a flaming bomb stamp above "W.D" (War Department) surrounded by an oval and "1864" in three lines. The South didnt have the manufacturing ability to produce the guns they needed, so they contracted 5,000 to be produced overseas. The rifle showed gray patina and mild wear from use which is pretty astounding considering the age. 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. The rifle was completely original and still retains almost all its blue coloring on the barrel. Sudan conflict: Turkish evacuation plan shot at, fighting in Darfur The war itself not only shaped the country politically, but also spiked a rush of innovation in manufacturing. In this image provided by the British Ministry of Defense, on . A spectacular Civil War U.S. Burnside Fifth Model breech loading saddle ring carbine. The carbine was the third most used amongst forces during the war only trailing behind the Spencer and Sharps. The military tried to work around this in various ways, but the Colt Revolving rifle was discontinued. I say that because of the blow out plugs which one normally doesn't see on lower grade guns. He certainly built a gun that outperformed it, at one trial striking targets at 2,000 yards, 600 yards better than the Enfield. Therefore, you can't always rely on age to be an indicator as to whether a weapon saw action during the Civil War. Trying to remove nipples and they would not budge. Arms and Equipment of the Civil War. Please help in identifying this firearm. The men's main complaint about these rifles was that the unusually shaped cartridge often got stuck in the barrel after firing. In fact, the reinterment of all the soldiers at the Camden Battlefield site is being delayed until the U.S. Army and the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust can turn the ground into a . The 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 Civil War was a time of great social and political upheaval. 2002-2023 LoveToKnow Media. The black powder at the time quickly fouled the barrel, making reloading slower and more difficult. 10 Facts: Civil War Artillery | American Battlefield Trust Other then The French Lefaucheux pin-fire handgun, I have no knowledge of any other French weapons imported by either side. Elwood Shelton is an online content developer for Gun Digest. Spencer Repeating Rifle/Carbine. During 1863, Sharps was the carbine prominently used by Union soldiers. 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. Barn find. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I don't know anything about your "rifle" except to tell you that it is NOT a rifle, it is a double barreled shotgun. k.k. The range and accuracy were big selling points, as well as its .44 caliber which provided excellent stopping power. . The Civil War gun was in exceptional condition maintaining almost all its blue on the barrel and having little wear marks. Mounted charges gave way to dismounted combat where men would tie up their horses and fight on foot. Were really interested to find out what it is and maybe gleen some additional history that might be associated with her family. The conical projectile, developed by French Army officer Claude-Etienne Mini in 1849, delivered before then unheard-of accuracy to military long guns. The most widely accepted figure estimates 620,000 men lost their lives in the four years of war. When one side gained the upper hand, they would finish off the attack with a bayonet charge. 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. army weapons were often marked with unit markings on the barrels, butt plates, or side plates. Took a propane torch to heat them and I had not removed all the caked in powder. 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 could clearly see the add of "eggs-10 cents a dozen.". (2017). 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 majority of Le Mats that actually saw use in battle were produced in France and shipped via the United Kingdom to the Confederacy. The Confederacy had at least seven units that were armed with Burnside rifles that had been captured from the Union armies. This may not be a true Sharps, but the historically relevant and rare nature of a Confederate-made copy made this a popular item. The Sharps rifle was a falling block rifle that also used a unique pellet primer feed. I am confused, do you have one or two weapons? Look at This Historic Enfield Rifle from the Civil War It was capable of firing three rounds a minute at an effective range of 500 yards but could be deadly at longer ranges. The Colt revolver made its way to be the second most common military hand gun of the Confederacy. 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. And the .44 round was relatively weaker compared to the dominant repeater of the time, the Spencer. (2001). If needed all that had to be done was put the caps on nipples and it was ready to shoot.. Hi. The rifle potentially had another downside however. If well made, it was well regarded. Rifled muskets quickly became the standard weapon of modern armies of the period, including the United States, while some smoothbore muskets were converted into rifles. 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. The standard weapon of the British Army between 1853 and 1867, like the Springfield the Enfield was a single-shot, muzzleloading rifle musket. Mini ball rifles - Various rifles were able to shoot mini balls, which created large, gaping wounds in the targets that they hit. Most suggestions that I have received is the Whitney/Plymouth Naval rifle. In this situation, anecdotal evidence and photographs or written documentation placing a specific rifle in the period can be very helpful. A handsome, durable and accurate rifle . Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily primary operator. At the root of the wide chasm in opinion on the Austrian Empires service arm appears to be manufacturing standards of the fairly complex weapon. It appears be a percussion muzzle loading shotgun, not a rifle. Like the Springfield, this was a three-band, single-shot, muzzle-loading rifle musket. 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. Italy:Oxford University Press, USA. [20][25] Later in the war, even factory-direct Lorenz rifles tended to be of poor craftsmanship. The percussion musket used .58 caliber Minie balls for ammunition which provided additional range and accuracy for soldiers using the gun. 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. 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. By Katharine Houreld. The rare Confederate Le Mat revolver is another highly desirable Civil War gun. The benefit of this Civil War rifle was that it could be fired in rapid succession without pausing to reload after each shot. 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. When in flight however the cleaning components gave the impression of being exploding bullets. When not at his press or the range he can be found chasing mule deer around the Rocky Mountains. 10,000 of the muskets were sent to Hall, Carrol and Co and Greenwood and Co, both of Cincinnati, Ohio. Please use the print button in the share bar at the top of the page. Nevertheless, the Federal government did eventually purchase thousands of these weapons, and thousands more were purchased by Union soldiers using their own money. Beauregard, a Confederate Civil War general, the Le Mat was created in 1856 before the outbreak of the war. Some types of rifles were regionally specific, while others were used across all arenas of the war. Mike, a NPS Ranger at Fort Pulaski in GA, demonstrates how to fire a Civil War style rifle, demonstrating the commands for e. I HAVE I HEAVY BARREL TARGET RIFLE FROM THE CIVIL WAR. Whether the Civil War gun youre in the market for is a rifle, carbine, or revolver, you hopefully now know a little more about which ones to purchase for your taste and budget. Most of the time it was chopped up pieces of steel and newspaper wadding. How to classify and identify Civil War rifles like the Henry Repeater. 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. The Civil War rifle became so popular that the Confederate forces copied the design and started producing their own versions of Sharps carbines. As the war escalated, those arms stockpiles were quickly diminished. [20] Despite their extensive use by both sides in the war, soldiers' opinions on the rifle were decidedly negative. Army smoothbore infantry musket. Tests conducted by the U.S. Army indicated that the .58 caliber was more accurate at a distance. 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. To determine the height of the unidentified Civil War soldier, an employee of The Horse Soldier store in Gettysburg, Pa . Thank you. 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. Rock Island Auction Company has a wide variety of Civil War guns in our Premier and Regional Auctions. Fact #5: Like previous wars, Civil War artillery could fire multiple types of ammunition. [6] Another reason is that the rifling also slowed the speed of the bullet, which meant a lower muzzle velocity than smoothbore muskets and a curved trajectory. On this Day in the Life, I describe some of the observations necessary to identify Civil War bullets. Civil War Muskets, Rifles & Carbines, Enfield & Springfield - C&C Sutlery Box 160 Llano, Texas 78643 If you have a specific identification question, please see our Identification Request Page. It MIGHT have been fired during the War - but was NOT a war weapon - it was used to hunt birds, rabbits and squirrels. 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. United Kingdom:Yale University Press. For this reason, many Civil War guns are still quite popular among firearm enthusiasts. army service. The quality of Lorenz rifles during the Civil War was not consistent. Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the Civil War gun is its .60 caliber, 18 gauge under shotgun barrel located right underneath its .42 barrel giving the user an addition shot. Like the musket, the projectile was smaller than the bore, allowing for fast loading, even when the arm was fouled with black-powder residue. This page is not available in other languages. Civil War Technology - History By 1864, some Union companies were armed with them, although rarely whole regiments. The Napoleonic cavalry charge was thus made both obsolete and suicidal by rifles. [7][20][21], The Springfield Model 1855 was the first standard-issue rifle for the US Army to fire the Mini ball, with 60,000 having been built from 1856 to 1860 at both the Springfield and Harpers Ferry Armory. Dec 13, 2014. 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. 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. Many unique Civil War revolvers and rifles can be found at Rock Island Auction Company. [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. 1863. The Civil War gun was a breech loading falling block in .52 caliber and proved to have excellent accuracy and rapid-fire ability. [7] At 500 yards a trained shooter could hit a man-sized target about half the time. Its no wonder both sides wanted a handful of Burnsides in their soldiers hands.
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