Brunswick Rifle

[Private Watkins]

Pretty neat Brunswick Rifle... about 2,000 of these were purchased by the Confederacy in the early stages of the war. There's a good write-up on the Confederate Brunswicks in the book The English Connection, pgs. 124-130.

http://www.collegehillarsenal.com/shop/product.php?productid=1802&cat=13&page=1

 

[Private Watkins]

The Brunswick pre-dated the Minie ball, and used a unique system with a two-groove barrel and a girdled round ball...

 

[Jobe Holiday]

I actually had one of these in my hands 3 years ago, proper ACW import rear sight and everything. I just couldn't "pull the trigger" at $4,000!
J.

 

[Private Watkins]

I actually had one of these in my hands 3 years ago, proper ACW import rear sight and everything. I just couldn't "pull the trigger" at $4,000!
J.

That's pretty cool...!

I don't know much about these... I gather they couldn't stand up to the Springfield or Enfield in range or accuracy... and it appears most that made it into the Confederacy were shipped way out far west? Seems like the unique girdled ball would make these hard to deploy in significant numbers...?

 

[Private Watkins]

One of the nicest Rebel carved stock examples comes from a Brunswick...

(From The English Connection, pg. 129)

From the perspective of an old "Okie from Muskogee" as The Hag would have said (God rest his soul), John Gillespie's 18th Arkansas handiwork is a real beauty...!!!

 

[originalrebelyell]

Be nice to have one.

 

[Private Watkins]

This is definitely off topic but here's one for The Hag... who I think would have been a kindred spirit with Ole John C. Gillespie...

 

[Jobe Holiday]

When the Brunswick Rifle was imported it was used with a hollow based projectile rather than the old belted ball.
As a side bar, I ended up with a Brunswick Rifle from Canada marked to the "RCR", Royal Canadian Rifles".
J.

 

[Private Watkins]

I wonder... when loading the original belted ball did one have to line up the "belt" with the "grooves" in order to ram it all the way down? Or could it be loaded any which way and then it would catch the grooves when fired...?

Seems like if the belt and grooves had to be lined up in order to ram down, it would take more time and cause more confusion in the heat of battle...

 

[Private Watkins]

When the Brunswick Rifle was imported it was used with a hollow based projectile rather than the old belted ball.
As a side bar, I ended up with a Brunswick Rifle from Canada marked to the "RCR", Royal Canadian Rifles".
J.

Do you know the purpose or reasoning behind why this protrusion was included to the rear of the trigger guard? I would assume has to do with support, comfort or grip of trigger hand...?

 

[Grayrock Volunteer]

The brass trigger guard extension is typical of military rifles of the period. You are correct in that it is an extra hand grip.

Cheers,
Garrett

 

[Patrick H]

The two-groove barrel and ball system is totally new to me. Very interesting rifle and the examples shown seem to be excellent.

 

[Mr. King]

One of the nicest Rebel carved stock examples comes from a Brunswick...
View attachment 97218
(From The English Connection, pg. 129)

From the perspective of an old "Okie from Muskogee" as The Hag would have said (God rest his soul), John Gillespie's 18th Arkansas handiwork is a real beauty...!!!

That'd make an awesome tattoo...

 

[Private Watkins]

That'd make an awesome tattoo...

Hadn't thought of that but indeed it would!

 

[Private Watkins]

Here are the initials GH carved into the stock of this specimin, as well as the number "10". Pure unadultered & unsupported speculation would put this beauty in the hands of one of four individuals with the initials "GH" serving in the 10th Arkansas, a sister unit to the 18th Arkansas in which John C. Gillespie served...

 

[Grayrock Volunteer]

Here are the initials GH carved into the stock of this specimin, as well as the number "10". Pure unadultered & unsupported speculation would put this beauty in the hands of one of four individuals with the initials "GH" serving in the 10th Arkansas, a sister unit to the 18th Arkansas in which John C. Gillespie served...
View attachment 97302

There is another carving nearly identical to the one on the Gillespie Brunswick rifle. It is on the broken buttstock of another Brunswick rifle. I'll look through my notes and see if I can't find what other info I have on it.

G

 

[Jobe Holiday]

Private Watkins - Yes, the belt on the ball had to be oriented with the grooves in the barrel. There are actually 2 notches at the muzzle where the grooves exit the bore. This was done to make it easier to know where the grooves were and to be able to load the rifle in the dark! As for the trigger guard, the intent of the downward extension was to prevent your hand from slipping backward when extracting the bayonet from an enemy's body.
J.

 

[Private Watkins]

Private Watkins - Yes, the belt on the ball had to be oriented with the grooves in the barrel. There are actually 2 notches at the muzzle where the grooves exit the bore. This was done to make it easier to know where the grooves were and to be able to load the rifle in the dark! As for the trigger guard, the intent of the downward extension was to prevent your hand from slipping backward when extracting the bayonet from an enemy's body.
J.

Bayonet extraction grip... I must confess I had not contemplated that as a feature...!

The depth of knowledge here continually amazes me... thank you Jobe for sharing your insights with us!

 

[Mr. King]

I confused this with the Baker Rifle, it's predecessor. The Baker Rifle was used by the Mexican Army at the Alamo, and I have to imagine during the Mexican War, too.

Did any Baker Rifles serve during our Civil War?

 

[Craig L Barry]

I think the new book "Suppliers to the Confederacy: More English Arms & Accoutrements" (Schiffer 2016) has something on the Brunswick, or maybe it's the third book (future publication date pending). Anyway, I am going from memory but apparently they were hard to re-load and initially came issued with a hammer to assist in driving the round home. The Baker rifle (officially known as the Infantry Rifle) was a flintlock rifle used by the Rifle regiments of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars, it would not have been purchased by either side as it was a rock lock and the buyers were both after percussion arms early in the war.