Springfield Model 1861
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). It was the most widely used Union Army shoulder weapon during the Civil War, favored for its range, accuracy, and reliability.
| 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 Providence Tool Company Amoskeag Manufacturing Company Eagle Manufacturing Company Lamson, Goodnow & Yale Alfred Jenkins & Sons Starr Arms Company Various private contractors |
| Unit cost | $14.93 (1861) |
| 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 |
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