Solid and durable, this rifle was deadly accurate to 500 yards and could be equipped with a steel socket bayonet.įorward sight and large, adjustable rear sight, also used by many Federal troops M1855 Springfield Rifle Musket Approximately 900,000 Enfields were imported, mostly by the Confederacy, but many were captured or destroyed by the Federal blockade. Produced in England, the 1853 Enfield Pattern Rifle Musket was the most-used shoulder weapon by Confederate soldiers. Length: 55.8 inches (rifled barrel 40 in.)įorward sight and adjustable rear sight 1853 Enfield Pattern Rifle Musket A steel socket bayonet could be attached to the barrel. With its rifled barrel and in the right hands, the M1861 could be fired three times per minute with a deadly effective range over 400 yards. Well-balanced and lacking the severe “kick” of other muskets of the Civil War era, the M1861 Springfield became the most popular infantry shoulder arm of the war. Infantry Shoulder Arms M1861 Springfield Rifle Musket Although not all weapons used in the Valley are explained here, those featured were among the most popular. The weapons described in this essay were employed by soldiers fighting in the Shenandoah Valley, based on written and archaeological evidence. In each of those battles, different models and variations of weapons were used, particularly by Confederates who, because of inconsistent resupply systems, were often forced to capture Federal guns and ammunition. An estimated 325 combat actions occurred in the Valley between 1861-1865, everything from relatively large, pivotal battles like Third Winchester and Cedar Creek, to small cavalry firefights involving only a few soldiers. The Shenandoah Valley witnessed the use of a wide variety of weapons during the Civil War. M1855 with “hump” for Maynard priming system
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