| Springfield Model 1861 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Rifled musket |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1861–1865 |
| Used by | |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | United States Army Ordnance Department |
| Designed | 1861 |
| Manufacturer | Springfield Armory Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company[1] Providence Tool Company Amoskeag Manufacturing Company Eagle Manufacturing Company Lamson, Goodnow & Yale[2] Alfred Jenkins & Sons Starr Arms Company Various private contractors[3] |
| Unit cost | $14.93 (1861)[4] |
| Produced | 1861–1865 |
| No. built | c. 1,000,000 |
| Variants | "Colt Special" |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9 lb (4.1 kg) |
| Length | 56 in (1,400 mm) |
| Barrel length | 40 in (1,000 mm) |
| Cartridge | Paper cartridge, Minié ball undersized to reduce the effects of powder fouling and for the skirt to grip the grooves when firing |
| Caliber | .58 (14.7320 mm) |
| Action | Percussion lock |
| Rate of fire | User dependent; usually 2 to 3 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,000 ft/s (300 m/s) to 1,400 ft/s (430 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 200 to 400 yd (180 to 370 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 800 to 1,000 yd (730 to 910 m) |
| Feed system | Muzzle-loaded |
| Sights | Iron sights |
The Springfield Model 1861 was a Minié-type rifled musket used by the United States Army during the American Civil War. Commonly referred to as the "Springfield" (after its original place of production, Springfield, Massachusetts).[5] It was the most widely used Union Army shoulder weapon during the Civil War, favored for its range, accuracy, and reliability.[6]
- ^ Houze, Herbert G.; Cooper, Carolyn C.; Kornhauser, Elizabeth Mankin (2006-01-01). Samuel Colt: Arms, Art, and Invention. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11133-0.
- ^ "Guns for Billy Yank: The Armory in Windsor Meets the Challenge of Civil War" (PDF). Vermonthistory.org/. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ^ House, United States Congress (1862). House Documents, Otherwise Publ. as Executive Documents: 13th Congress, 2d Session-49th Congress, 1st Session.
- ^ Lord, Dr Francis A. (2017-08-03). "The '61 Springfield Rifle Musket". HistoryNet. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
- ^ Knapp, George (2001). "Rifled Musket, Springfield, Model 1861". In Jerold E. Brown (ed.). Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Army. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-313-29322-1.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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