RE: Re[2]: [DL] Firearms in the Civil War

[frempath2@netscape.net]

Mr. McGlothlin gave you a good answer, I will just expand upon it a bit but this is in no way a complete list.

Domestic Muzzleloading Muskets
Model 1816/1822
These were .69 inch smoothbored muskets with a flintlock ignition system.
Over 1/2 million of these weapons were prodused until superceeded by the model 1840.
Many of these weapons were modified to percussion ignitions systems prior to the war, but flintlocks were also issued.  
Used early on, and replaced as newer weapons became available.

Model 1840
This was the last muzzle loading flintlock musket designed for the US military.  It was a new design as opposed to an update of the model 1816/1822 musket though it maintained the .69 inch caliber.  Most were converted to percussion durring the period between the Mexican War and the American Civil War.

Model 1842
This was the first smooth bored musket designed for the US with a percussion ignition system. Over 1/4 million of these muskets were in arsonals at the outbreak of the war.  Some of these muskets were rifled prior to the outbreak of war.  Though a smooth bored weapon some units chose to keep this weapon throughout the war, though most would be exchanged for more modern weapons as they were available.

Domestic Muzzle Loading Rifles
Model 1841
.54 caliber rifle, many later rebored to .58 inch caliber, percussion ignition.

Model 1855
.58 caliber rifle, intially produced using the Maynard tape primer system.  This was replaced with the percussion system when the Maynard proved unreliable.  The patterns for this weapn from Harper's Ferry would be used to make the Fayettville rifle for the confederacy.

Domestic Rifle Musket
Model 1855
.58 caliber rifle, intially produced using the Maynard tape primer system.  This was replaced with the percussion system when the Maynard proved unreliable.  Over 60,000 of these weapons were available durring the war.
The Patterns for this weapon from Harper's ferry would be used to make the Richmond rifle musket for the confederacy.

Model 1861
The Standard Rifle Musket of the war.  .58 inch caliber, percussion ignition system.  Estimated production of over 700,000 weapons.

Model 1863
An improved 1861. There were 2 versions of this weapon with a total production of over 1/2 million weapons.

Imported Arms
Neither side could produce enough arms fore their needs.  Eventually the Union was able to produce enough for its needs.  Europe provided the source for the shortfall.  Many of the arms purchased were the unusable cast offs of the Napoleonic era, others were very serviceable arms and a few were the equals of those arms produced in america.

P1853 Enfield
.577 inch caliber, percussion ignition system.  Estimated 900,000 weapons of  this typer were imported to North America during the war.  This was the best of the imports, not only an equal of the 1861 springfield but the source of inspiration for the impovements found in the model of 1863.

Model 1854 Austian Lorenz 
.54 inch caliber, many rebored to .58. Percussion ignition.  Over 325,000 were imported to North America during the war.  This arm was a very good weapon, near par with the Enfield or Springfield.

Saxon Model 1857
.57 inch caliber, percussion ignition system.  Impoted from Belgium and the German principalities.  It was a solid arm, though more unwieldy than its contemporaries and thus not as popular with the soliers.

Domestic Single Shot Breech loading weapons
Though used mainly by the mounted troops due to ease of loading, some were used by infantry. Cartridges were of paper, linen, animal intestine, metal, or rubber, depending upon manufacturer.  Some of the makers were:
Sharps, Smith, Burnside, Ballard,& Starr.

Domestic Repeating Weapons
Spencer
The Spencer repeating weapons were of .52 caliber and had a magazine of 7 rounds. Aproximatly 200,000 carbines and rifles were produced during war.

Henry
.44 caliber, 15 round magazine.  The Henry was the forerunner of the Winchester lever action rifle line.  Some units bought their own Henry weapons as the govt. refused to purchase the weapon, but would supply ammuntion.

Colt
1855 Revolving Rifle
.56 inch caliber 5 shot percussion ignition.  The colt appeared as an oversized revolver.  The colt required a lot of maintinance and though it could provide a great volume of fire, it was ultimatly a failure as a military arm.


Well thats it for now.
Like I said, this in no way a complete list.

g'day
Kevin Jameson 


Jerzy Cichocki <deepone@go2.pl> wrote:

>Howdy Kevin,
>
>fnn> That question is a little overly broad.
>fnn> Did  you  mean  the  mechanical  type of fire arm or the specific
>fnn> models  of firearms used. Neither is a terribly short answer, but
>fnn> which were you interested in?
>
>Models of rifles
>
>Thanks,
>Barman
>
>
>To unsubscribe, send a message to esquire@gamerz.net with
>    unsubscribe deadlands@gamerz.net
>as the BODY of the message.  The SUBJECT is ignored.
>
>


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