U.S. Civil War Weapons

The Civil War was long and bloody for both sides. It destroyed families, homes and much, much more.

The Civil War also brought into use several new military technologies. Some of these technologies were designed during the war. Some improvements were already available but as-yet untried in battle by American soldiers.

One of the most important improvements was the invention of the percussion cap in 1805 (patented 1807) by Reverend John Forsyth in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Using a cap to ignite the gunpowder, instead of a pan of gunpowder on the side of the firearm, allowed the weapon to be used in all types of weather.

Another great improvement was the rifling of the musket barrel which increased both range and accuracy. The smooth-bore musket had an effective range of only 300 ft. This meant that an enemy position was easier to overrun and a definite hazard for the defenders. The rifling of the barrel increased the effective range to appoximately 750 – 900 feet. This made a charge more deadly and a waste of men.

There were so many weapons used in the Civil War that it would be impossible to list every one. Some of the Militia units were armed with the weapons they brought from home. Some soldiers kept their own weapons even though they were issued new ones. There is also the fact that the South was not able to arm their men with the same quality of weapons as the North.

Many weapons were taken from the dead and dying to be used by another soldier.

Unusual Civil War Weapons

An interesting Civil War era pistol was the Cogswell Pepper Box Revolver. It is a six-shot percussion pistol with a rotating barrel. Additional barrels were carried for quicker reloading. It was also used as a self defense weapon by women, gamblers and other civilians.

The Duckfoot Percussion Pistol was a truly strange Naval pistol. It was also called the "Early Mutiny and Riot Pistol". The Duckfoot was a 3-5 barreled weapon, with the barrels pointed in a "splayed" configuration (like a duck's foot). All barrels would fire at the same time, hoping for hits on multiple individuals in a crowd. A few were still in service at the beginning of the Civil War although they were not favorites because of their severe inaccuracy. It was originally a British Naval flintlock pistol from 1790 to 1840, and was copied by the American Navy as a percussion in 1840. The final year of production was 1860.

In 1838, another strange pistol was ordered by the US Navy. The contract was awarded to C.B. Allen in Springfield, Massachusetts and the Ames Sword Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts made the Bowie-like blade. There were 150 "sword pistols" purchased. It was the first percussion handgun officially used by the US Navy. It was originally designed to outfit the famous Wilkes - South Sea Exploring Expedition, and was actually used on one of the South Sea islands. These were still in service at the beginning of the Civil War and were meant to be used for repelling borders.

Civil War Swords

For hundreds of years the sword was the weapon used in warfare. It was simple but very effective. However, with the coming of age of the gun, the sword became less useful. Everybody has heard the old saying "Never bring a knife (or sword) to a gun fight." Well, it was very true in modern warfare.

Swords were carried by Generals on down to privates and became presentations for excellence or heroism. Some were "presented" by family members or friends.

The civil war swords were made with many different materials. Many had ornate engravings on both sides, solid gold hilts and/or silver blades and scabbards. Some used sharkskin, brass wire, leather, iron, and steel with plain U.S. or C.S.A. markings. The European manufacturers were famous for their ornate and heavily etched swords.

Swords came from many sources. Agents such as A.B. Griswald and Co. of New Orleans would go to Europe to buy weapons for sale in America. Some swords and sabers came from W. Clauberg of Solinger, Prussia, others were made in America by companies such as the Ames Sword Co. or Boyle and Gamble. Boyle and Gamble was a company that sold to individuals but they also had the Boyle, Gamble and Macfee Co. for government contract work.

The 1860 Naval Cutlass was produced by the Ames Sword Co. They sold about 22,000 to the Navy and about 300 to the Army. It came with a leather scabbard with a "frog" to hang on a belt. The cutlass had a soup ladle style guard called a "Cuillere a pot". The blade came unsharpened and the owner was expected to sharpen it. The Naval Cutlasses were made for use in close quarters such as defending the ship or boarding an enemy vessel.

The U.S. M1850 Staff and Field Officer's Sword was made by the Ames Sword Company. It had a brass hilt that was gilded. The blade was etched. The grip was of shark skin wrapped with brass wire. The scabbard was blued with brass accents. This standard design was adopted by the U.S. Army in April of 1850 but it was based on a French sword of earlier design.

The U.S. Calvary Sabre 1860 design had a curved blade. Ames Mfg. Co. in Chicopee Ma. was contracted for this sabre. The grip was wire wrapped. It was steel with a steel scabbard. There were no etched designs on the blade.

The Confederate Officer's Sabre was made of steel with a leather wrapped grip. The blade was approximately 36 inches long. The hilt was made of 3 branches. Many officer's swords and sabers on both sides were based on European designs.

The Confederate (Shelby) Officer's Sword had a blued metal scabbard with brass accents. The guard was brass and was marked C.S. The grip was leather, wrapped with twisted brass wire. General Shelby, who refused to surrender, carried this sword which is why it became known as the "Shelby" sword.

The U.S. Foot Officer's Sword had a 34 inch curved steel blade with elaborate engraving, a brass hand guard and leather wrapped grip. The scabbard was polished steel with brass accents.

A Cavalry Trooper's Sword had a wooden grip, inset with brass braid. The hilt was made of brass and was made in a 3-bar swept design. It had a 34 inch blade and the scabbard was of polished steel.

The Confederate Foot Soldier's Sword had a solid brass handguard and pommel which were very detailed. The blade was 33 inches long, made of polished steel and had a slight curve to it. It came with a blued steel scabbard with brass accents.

The U.S. M1860 Light Cavalry Sabre was 43 inches long and weighed only 3 pounds, making it the lightest sword or saber carried in the war. It had a steel blade, steel handguard & brass accents on the polished steel scabbard.

The Confederate Non-Commissioned Officer's sword was made by several sword-making companies in the South during the war. As was custom it was based on a European design. The blade was steel with a simple brass hilt. The scabbard was blued steel with brass accents.

See more on Civil War Swords.

Civil War Pistols

It seems everyone had a favorite pistol.

The Union preferred the Colt Army Model 1860 which was the upgrade of the 1848 Dragoon pistol. The Colt Army was a .44 caliber, six-shot pistol.

The South preferred the Colt Navy Model 1861, a .36 caliber, because the parts were easily interchangeable. Both were well made and reliable.

Another favorite was the Starr Revolver, a .44 caliber, six-shot, double action weapon. It had the advantage of using either cartridges or ball and powder. It was a double-action handgun but, in 1863, the Union Ordinance Department asked that Starr make it a single-action to lower the cost. Although made for the Union, many were smuggled to the South. Soldiers on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line considered it to be a very reliable and durable weapon.

The Le Mat Revolver was another often used weapon. It was invented by a French-born New Orleans doctor in 1856. This pistol was different because it had 2 barrels. It was a .40 caliber, 9 shot, cap and ball pistol, which also shot a .63 caliber buck-shot from the bottom barrel – like a shotgun that was effective at close range. The originals were well liked, but the French-made (manufactured by G. Girard & Co) revolvers were of poor quality. Southern agents had to scrap whole lots of them. So, the maker contracted with English and Belgium manufacturers to produce much better quality weapons. The South got about 3,000 of them. One version even had a full-length rifle barrel.

A favorite weapon of the U.S. Calvary was the M1869 .45 caliber Schofield Single-Action Revolver. It had wood grips, an 8-inch barrel and a top latch for easy loading. It came with a brass or blued finish. After the Civil War, Wells Fargo agents were known to carry them. Even Frank James (brother of outlaw Jesse James) carried one.

The Model 1849 Pocket Revolver, a .31 caliber, came in a 5" and 6" length. It had a 3 inch barrel and was a 5 shot. This Colt pocket was a smaller version of the Colt M1851 Navy and was made to replace the Baby Dragoon.

A small but handy pistol was the 1866 Double Barrel Derringer. It only weighed 1 pound and had an overall length of 4.75 inches. It was designed by William Elliott of Remington in 1866 and was later manufactured by E. Remington and Sons.

Another small but handy weapon for card sharks and gamblers was the Baby Philadelphia Derringer. With it's small size it was the perfect percussion hideaway weapon. It was only 6.5 inches long and weighed in at 1 pound. It was a derringer like this that was used by John Wilkes Booth to assassinate U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

The Sharps 1860 Derringer was favored by both law men and outlaws as well as gamblers and others looking for a backup or hideaway weapon. Many of these were heavily engraved.

An example of a "bad" weapon was the Tucker and Sherrard Revolver. Made in Lancaster Texas, the Texas government gave them a contract in 1862. Some had the "experimental" low-rise hammer. The production quality was so poor that many would have blowouts in the cylinders. These were not a favorite pistol.

Civil War Rifles

With the vast improvements made in firearm designs came the multi-shot rifle. One of the first was the M1860 Spencer Repeating Carbine. It was a 7-shot rimfire that loaded by magazine. The Spencer Repeating Carbine was one of the most popular rifles of the Civil War.

The M1863 rifle was being produced for the United States at the Richmond Armory. After the takeover of the armory by the Confederate government, the "Johhny Rebs" replaced the steel trigger and side plates with ones made of iron. The reason for the change was to make the weapon cheaper to manufacture. The Confereracy did not have a "war chest" (money) as large as the United States. A few other armories continued to make the M1863 for the "Blue Bellies".

Another was the 1862 Confederate rifle - the Richmond High Hump Musket - made under the auspices of the state of Virginia. Rifles damaged during production were ordered shortened and issued, according to records from the Richmond Armory.

The Whitney-ville M1861 Navy Rifle, also known as the "Plymouth Rifle", was produced under recommendation of Captain John A. Dalgren, one of the Union Navy's most well known ordnance officers.

The Cook and Brother Calvary Carbine was a Confederate weapon made in Athens, Georgia by English immigrant brothers. It was said to be the largest and most successful Confederate armory.

The Model 1861 Springfield Musket was one of the most favored rifles of the Civil war. It was made at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, and by many other manufacturers. It had a rifled barrel and the parts were interchangeable. It was a percussion musket that fired a .58 caliber "mini-ball". It was considered to be very accurate and reliable. Another "improved" 1863 model was also made, but the 1861 remained the most favored.

The Henry Repeating Rifle has a very interesting history. It was patented by Benjamin Henry in 1860 but the patent was assigned to his employer, Oliver Winchester. They were made at the plant in New Haven Connecticut by Mr. Henry. The magazine held 15 rounds and was located below the barrel. It was claimed to be able to shoot 45 shots per minute, thus making it the first truly rapid fire rifle. It used newly patented ammunition, which was patented at the same time as the gun by Mr. Henry.

The Enfield Three Band Percussion Rifle was a British rifle. It was the rifle most used by the Confederacy. It was patented in 1853 and had a rifled barrel. They were reliable, easy to load and did not foul. It was also considered to be very accurate.

Civil War Shotguns

Most shotguns used were 16 guage, with 30-inch barrels, and 3-inch receiver area that houses the transitional mechanisms. This is a most unusual shotgun. It has been referred to as a transitional from the black powder era to the cartridge.

Almost all of the shotguns were used by the Confederates and, strangely enough, there was even a bayonet made to fit the double barreled shotguns.

References:

• Wikipedia Online Encyclopaedia
• MSN Encarta Online Encyclopaedia
• Brittanica Online Encyclopaedia
• Richmond Armory Online Museum
• Civilwarhome.com
• Sharpsburg-arsenal.com
• Rarewinchesters.com

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