1861 Springfield Rifle-Musket

The Springfield Model 1861 was a Minié-type rifled musket shoulder-arm used by the United States Army and Marine Corps during the American Civil War. Commonly referred to as the "Springfield", it was the most widely used U.S. Army weapon during the Civil War, favored for its range, accuracy, and reliability.

• Service History
  • Type: Single Shot Muzzle-loading Rifle Musket​
  • Used by: U.S. Army, C.S. Army
  • Service Dates: 1861 to 1872
  • Wars: American Civil War
• Design & Manufacture
  • Designer: U.S. Ordnance Department
  • Manufacturer(s): Springfield Armory, Mass, USA, and about 20 Additional Contractors
  • Manufacture Dates: 1861 to 1865
  • Number Built: 660,000
  • Per Unit Cost: $15 to $20 (1861 USD)
  • Variants
    • 1861 Colt Special Contract Rifle-Musket
    • 1863 Springfield Rifle-Musket
  • Modern Reproductions: Pedersoli, Armi Sport and Euro Arms
• Specifications
  • Action: Percussion lock
  • Overall Length: 58.5 inches
  • Barrel Length: 40 inches
  • Weight: 9.25 pounds
  • Bore: .58 inch Caliber
    • 3 progressive depth rifle grooves
    • Rifle twist: 1 rotation in 78 inches
  • Bullet Type: 500 grain conical lead minie ball
  • Std. Powder Charge: 65 grains FF Black Powder
  • Sights: 100, 300, 500 yards
  • Muzzle Velocity: 950 feet per second
  • Rate of Fire: 2 to 3 rounds per minute
  • Effective Range: 100 to 400 yards
  • Max Range: 900 to 1,000 yards
• Notes
  • Designed to use a 17 inch Triangular Socket Bayonet
  • Additional Notes:
    • The Model 1861 Springfield was used heavily by the Union Army throughout the Civil War, just behind the Enfield and US Model 1842, it was also the 3rd most common weapon used to arm the Confederacy.
      
      The Model 1861 and subsequent Model 1863 (or M1861 and M1863 respectively) were the last percussion arms designed and issued to the United States Army. The M1861 and it's simple variation in the form of the M1863 was a logical step from the M1855 series arms.
      
      Among the finest long arms in the world when it was introduced it was rivaled in accuracy only by the 1853 Enfield and it surpassed that venerable arm in reliability and quality of manufacture.

Model 1861 U.S. Springfield Rifle-Musket Lock at the National Museum of American History.
Public Domain Photo by a Museum / Federal Government Employee​