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CIVIL WAR SMALL ARMS
Prior to the Civil War, the United States retained only a limited stockpile
of small arms, and, as a consequence, neither the North nor the South was prepared to engage in a major war. When the conflict
commenced in 1861, tens-of-thousands of men volunteered to fight in the bloodiest conflict in American history and those small
arms were quickly exhausted.
The Union and Confederacy purchased every European rifle available and shipped them back to America. As a result,
during the first two years of the war, soldiers from both sides used a wide variety of rifles, including fifty year old weapons
(even muskets from the War of 1812). At the same time, American rifle and gun manufacturers--Sharps, Colt, Remington, and
the United States armory at Springfield--quickly increased their production of rifles. The 1855 invention of the rifled barrel,
with grooves running down the barrel that caused the bullet to spin once it was fired, rendered all smoothbore rifles obsolete.
Small arms capabilities. |
Weapon
type |
Caliber |
Bayonet |
Magazine
capacity |
Rounds
carried |
Rate of
fire/min. |
Revolver,
Colt |
.44 ball |
no |
6 |
24 |
6 |
Revolver,
Remington |
.44 ball |
no |
6 |
24 |
6 |
| Henry rifle |
.44 rimfire |
no |
16 |
50 |
16 |
Smith
carbine |
.50 linen
cartridge |
no |
1 |
40 |
8 |
Hall
carbine |
.51 paper
cartridge |
no |
1 |
40 |
8 |
Sharps
carbine |
.52 paper
cartridge |
no |
1 |
40 |
8 |
Starr
carbine |
.54 paper
cartridge |
no |
1 |
40 |
8 |
841
rifle |
.54 paper
cartridge |
saber-
type |
1 |
40 |
3 |
| Austrian rifle |
.54 paper
cartridge |
no |
1 |
40 |
3 |
Burnside
carbine |
.54 brass
cartridge |
no |
1 |
40 |
10 |
Spencer
carbine |
.56-56
rimfire |
no |
7 |
40 |
14 |
Joslyn
carbine |
.56-56
rimfire |
no |
1 |
40 |
8 |
Enfield
musket |
.577
paper
cartridge |
angular |
1 |
40 |
3 |
Springfield
musket |
.58 paper
cartridge |
angular |
1 |
40 |
3 |
Altered
muskets |
.69 paper
cartridge |
angular |
1 |
40 |
3 |
| Shotguns |
various
M.L. |
no |
1 or 2 |
unknown |
3 |
A muzzle-loading rifle required 10 specific movements to prepare it to fire:
(1) lower musket to ground, (2) handle cartridge, (3) tear cartridge, (4) charge cartridge, (5) draw rammer, (6) ram cartridge
twice, (7) return rammer, (8) cast-about [return gun to firing position], (9) prime [insert primer cap], (10) cock the hammer
and point the rifle. Trained soldiers were expected to complete these steps in 20 seconds and be able to fire three aimed
bullets per minute.
Springfield Rifle Musket
The most frequently used rifle of the Civil
War was the American-made Springfield rifle musket--a single-shot, muzzle-loading gun detonated with a percussion cap. Not
only did it have the rifled barrel, which dramatically increased accuracy over a smoothbore musket, but it also was the first
rifle to fire the famous .58 cal. Minié ball--an inch-long, bullet-shaped projectile, rather than a round ball as used in
older muskets. The 39-inch-long rifled barrel made it possible to hit a target with a Minié ball as far away as 500 yards.
By the end of the war, approximately 1.5 million Springfield rifle muskets had been produced by the Springfield Armory and
20 subcontractors. Since the South lacked sufficient manufacturing capability, most of the Springfields in Southern hands
were captured on the battlefields during the early part of the war.
Enfield Rifle Musket
The second most widely used weapon of the Civil
War was the British Enfield three-band, single-shot, muzzle-loading musket. It was also the standard weapon for the British
army between 1853-1867. American soldiers liked it because its .577 cal. barrel allowed the use of .58 cal. ammunition used
by both Union and Confederate armies. Originally produced at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield, England, approximately
900,000 of these muskets were imported during 1861-1865. Many officers, however, preferred the Springfield muskets over the
Enfield muskets--largely due to the interchangeability of parts that the machine-made Springfields offered.
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References: National Park Service; National Archives
Recommended
Reading: An Introduction to Civil War
Small Arms. Description: Fifty Union
and Confederate muskets, rifles, carbines and pistols are concisely discussed with specifications. Also includes photographs
of the ammunition! The overall format is an introduction to each weapon with basic specifications, several
paragraphs of text about development use and production, a photograph of the weapon, a period photo of a soldier armed with
the same, and a photo of the cartridge. Continued below...
This is repeated
for each major weapon. There are also several other general information sections about various aspects of small arms. (Of
considerable use to "wargamers" is a section listing known weapons of MANY regiments; looks like at least 1,000.)
Recommended
Reading: The
Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat: Reality and Myth (Modern War Studies) (Hardcover: 288 pages) (University Press
of Kansas: September 9, 2008). Description: The Civil War's single-shot, muzzle-loading musket revolutionized
warfare--or so we've been told for years. Noted historian Earl J. Hess forcefully challenges that claim, offering a new, clear-eyed,
and convincing assessment of the rifle musket's actual performance on the battlefield and its impact on the course of the
Civil War. Continued below...
Drawing upon
the observations and reflections of the soldiers themselves, Hess offers the most compelling argument yet made regarding the
actual use of the rifle musket and its influence on Civil War combat. Engagingly written and meticulously researched, his
book will be of special interest to Civil War scholars, buffs, reenactors, and gun enthusiasts alike.
Recommended
Reading: Arms and Equipment of the
Civil War. Description: Enhanced with marvelous illustrations, the text describes what
materiel was available to the armies and navies of both sides — from iron-clad gunboats, submarine torpedoes, and military
balloons to pontoon bridges, percussion grenades, and siege artillery — with on-the-scene comments by Union
and Confederate soldiers about equipment and camp life. Includes more than 500
black-and-white illustrations. RATED 5 STARS. Continued...
Recommended
Reading: Sharpshooters of the American
Civil War 1861-65. Description: When the American Civil War commenced in 1861, both Confederate
and Union officials decided that specialized sharpshooter units should be formed. These highly trained marksmen served in
a front-line role and, due to the technological developments of the 1850s, were equipped with weapons that could guarantee
greater accuracy over increased range than traditional muskets. This title examines the recruitment, training, tactics and
deployment of sharpshooters from both sides of the conflict. It also takes a close look at the specialized weaponry of
the sharpshooter, the rifle and its accoutrements, as well as the sharpshooters' unique insignia and identification patches.
It includes full color photos and action-packed battle scenes.
Recommended Reading: Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia: Arms, Uniforms and Equipment of the Union and
Confederacy. Description: This comprehensive and exhaustive reference identifies and describes the use and application of
more than 800 items. Arranged alphabetically by topic, subjects range from artillery accouterments and boats to tools and
patriotic sheet music. "Everything an interested reader would want to know . . . A must-have book." — Antiques &
Auction News. Over 350 rare illustrations. Continued below...
The
Civil War buff and even serious collector of Civil War arms, uniforms and equipment should purchase the Civil War Collector's
Encyclopedia: Arms, Uniforms And Equipment Of The Union And Confederacy as an indispensable reference and core guide in this
specialized area of military antiques and collectibles with noted authority Francis A. Lord covering almost everything to
do with Civil War memorabilia--from equipment to Union and Confederate uniforms.
Recommended
Reading: Warman's Civil War Weapons.
Description: The weapons of the Confederate and Union Armies, a commanding presence 140 years
ago, are among today's most revered collectibles. Warman's Civil War Weapons offers Civil War enthusiasts a listing of more than 100 weapons and military vehicles, featured in 400 stunning full-color photos, and covers
the effectiveness of each weapon in battle. Continued below...
From the early
battles that relied on muzzleloaded weapons, to the introduction of submarines, handguns, shoulder arms, edged weapons and
more, this book chronicles the history of an innovative age of weaponry. Weapons including the Butterfield Revolver, Sharps
Model 1859 and Confederate short sword are shown in detail, with a performance summary. This unmatched reference provides
the information needed for a historical study and collecting.
Recommended
Reading: Civil War Firearms: Their Historical Background and Tactical Use. Description: The popular Civil War News columnist has written a unique work, combining
technical data on each Civil War firearm, an often surprising treatment of their actual use on the battlefield, and a guide
to collecting and firing surviving relics and modern reproductions. About the Author: Joseph G. Bilby is a popular columnist
for the Civil War News and a veteran of the current 69th Regiment.
Recommended Reading: The 1863 U.S. Infantry Tactics: Infantry of the Line, Light Infantry, and Riflemen
(Hardcover: 608 pages). Description: Written in 1861 at the direction
of the War Department and copiously illustrated, this was the book used to train, lead, and maneuver U.S. Infantry units on
Civil War battlefields. It contains the school of the soldier, the company, and battalion or fielded regiment, along with
all-important instructions for skirmishers. More than 15 pages of field music, the articles of war in use at the time, and a dictionary of Civil
War military terminology complete this extensive work. The work was authorized and adopted by the Secretary of War on May
1, 1861. This is the second edition issued in 1863.
Recommended
Reading: Shock Troops of the Confederacy
(Hardcover: 432 pages). Description: Fred Ray's Shock Troops of
the Confederacy is primarily focused on the "sharpshooter battalions" of the Army of Northern Virginia. In a Civil
War context, "sharpshooter" was usually more akin to "skirmisher" than "sniper," although these specialized battalions also
used innovative open order assault techniques, especially late in the war. Continued below...
Ray includes,
however, a detailed study of Union sharpshooter battalions and Confederate sharpshooters in the West. Remarkably, little
has been published about such organizations in the past, so Fred Ray's book offers a unique study of the evolution of Civil
War infantry tactics, revealing a more complex, sophisticated approach to the battlefield than is usually understood.
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