1855 Springfield rifled musket

[Mr King]

Hello everyone, hope you all are well. The 1853 Enfield rifled musket and 1861 Springfield rifled muskets were the most popular but from 1856-1860 there were 75,000 1855 Springfield rifled muskets made. It states that thousands fell into the Southerners' hands but how many in the North? 10,000 were shipped to California which were useless to the Union war effort. These could still be used with percussion caps and not the Maynard tape primer system. To the Southerners these were some of the best rifles they had for most of the others were armed with smoothbore muskets. It wasn't until 1861 the Union massed produced the new 1861 Springfield rifled musket. I'm curious if there is more history on the 1855 Springfield rifled musket used in this war and units armed with them.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

The Federal government considered the 61 to basically be an update to the 55 pattern, so quartermaster records would typically lump them together as the same gun. The Confederates did the same thing with any captured Springfield or arsenal made copy, so it's very hard to know how many were issued to what unit. They were out there, but not the most common.

 

[Mr King]

Thank you Yankee Brooke! I guess sometimes I get too analytical on this war subject.

 

[Lead Snowstorm]

Willyard calculates 2,641 rifle muskets and 1,825 rifles were destroyed at Harpers Ferry in April of '61. Appendix F from his book (a must for those interested in the 1855 arms) shows numbers and locations of arms as of October 1860.

 

[johan_steele]

The Regulars of the US Army infantry regiments had largely been issued the new M1855 by 1861. Those units that were surrendered to the CS had their arms reissued almost immediately to assorted CS units.

It's possible to trace what state got how many with the state militia issues from the federal government but difficult to see where they went from there. Especially, as the ordnance returns don't specify 1855 from 1861/63/64 &!Special model 1861.

 

[Conquerordie]

I believe in Willyard's book it states there was approx. 20,000 in the stocks in Northern Arsenals at the outbreak of the War. So approx 75,000 total, minus 20,000 in stores, so that's 55,000 arms in the hands of the US regulars, sent to California, and issued to the various states North and South before the war. All total, it's a small amount of firearms compared to the M1861 from Springfield and various contractors, Enfield's, and the Lorenz.

I think Elisha Hunt Rhodes talks about the 1st Rhode Infantry being issued M1855's, and his 2nd having smoothbores. But when the enlistments where up for the men in the 1st, they traded arms with the 2nd so they would have the better muskets to carry on the fight with. I love the M1855.

 

[Mr King]

Thank you for your great replies everyone! Awesome replies from you all!