CLASH OF ARMIES 1862■ PERCUSSION CAPS
■ ENFIELD RIFLE MUSKET
■ MISSISSIPPI RIFLE
Rifles and Muskets
Infantry arms were in transition in the Civil War. Most were percussion-firing
rifled weapons, like modern firearms, rather than smoothbore, flintlock
muskets. But most were muzzle-loaded, unlike modern breechloading firearms.
■^ Model 1822 Springfield musket (Confederate and
Union) Both sides used older firearms, such as this
Model 1822, manufactured at the Springfield Armory in
Massachusetts. It has been converted from a flintlock firing
system to the more modern percussion system. ■ Model
1841 Mississippi rifle (Confederate and Union) An accurate
.54-caliber percussion rifle, often carried by Confederate
NCOs, skirmishers, and sharpshooters. ■ Pattern 1853
Enfield rifle musket (Confederate and Union) This British
weapon was highly prized by both sides. After the Model
1861, it was the second most widely used infantry weapon of
the war. ■ Model 1819 Hall rifle (Confederate and Union)
The first percussion firearm to be produced for the
U.S. military, patented in 1811. A number survived to see
action on both sides. ■ Percussion caps Most weapons of
the Civil War used these brass caps filled with explosive
fulminate of mercury to fire their charges. They enabled
muzzle-loading weapons to fire reliably in any weather.
■^ Fayetteville rifle musket (Confederate) Produced in
North Carolina from machinery seized at Harpers Ferry, this
model used brass fittings in place of scarce steel and iron.
■ Richmond rifle musket (Confederate) Based on the
Springfield Model 1855 rifle musket but fitted with a British
Enfield barrel. More were produced than any other rifle in
the Confederacy. ■ Tower rifle (Confederate and
Union) Enfield-type weapons produced in
Birmingham, England, were known as Tower
muskets or rifles. ■ Lorenz rifle (Confederate
and Union) A .54-caliber Austrian weapon that
was widely imported by both sides. This example
was used by the 2nd Virginia Infantry.
■(;^ Barnett rifle (Confederate) An Enfield variant
made by the British makers Barnett & Sons.
■(2^ Rifle cover Made of cloth, this was an important
piece of equipment to keep a rifle clean and dry.
■(3^ Sword bayonet Rarer than the spike bayonet, this was
a deadly weapon when taking on the enemy in hand-to-hand
combat. It could be attached to the end of a rifle or used
separately. ■(4 Enfield Model 1853 bayonet and scabbard
A spike bayonet for attachment to the barrel of a rifle.■ MODEL 1822 SPRINGFIELD MUSKET
■ HALL RIFLE