Springfield musket
Encyclopedia
Springfield musket may refer to any one of several types of small arms
produced by the Springfield Armory
in Springfield, Massachusetts
, for the United States armed forces
. In modern times, these muskets are commonly referred to by their date of design followed by the name Springfield ("1855 Springfield", for example). However, U.S. Ordnance Department documentation at the time did not use "Springfield" in the name ("Rifle Musket, Model 1855", for example).
They are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Springfield rifles". Rifles have grooves on the inside of their barrels. Smooth bore muskets do not. The term "Rifled musket
" originally referred to smooth bore muskets that later had their barrels rifled. This term was extended to include weapons that were produced with rifled barrels, as long as the overall design was very similar to the original smooth bore musket.
Smoothbore muskets:
Rifled musket:
Overview:
The Springfield Model 1795 was the first musket to be produced in the United States. It was essentially a direct copy of the French Model 1763 Charleville musket
, which had been imported in great numbers during the American Revolution
. The war of 1812 revealed many weaknesses in both design and manufacturing, which the Model 1812 sought to correct. The Model 1812 borrowed many design features from the French Model 1777 Charleville musket. The Model 1816 standardized all of the changes that had been made during production of the Model 1812. This design was produced for many years with only minor changes, such as the modification to the sling swivel on the Model 1822. The Model 1835 was likewise very similar in design, but was produced using significantly different manufacturing techniques with an emphasis on machine made parts and parts interchangeability. Minor changes were again made for the Model 1840, which culminated in the Model 1842, which was the first musket to be produced with completely interchangeable, machine-made parts. As these muskets were produced with only minor changes, some historians consider the Models 1816 through 1840 to all be minor variants of a single model type.
The Model 1840 was the last musket to be produced as a flintlock. Many Model 1840 muskets were converted to percussion lock before they made it to the field. The percussion lock was seen as such an improvement that many earlier muskets (all the way back to the Model 1816) had their flint locks replaced with percussion locks.
The 1840s also saw the introduction of the minie ball
, which allowed rifled barrels to be used with muzzle loading black powder weapons. Model 1840 and 1842 muskets were produced as smooth bore weapons, but many had their barrels rifled after production, causing them to be referred to as rifled musket
s. Subsequent models in the series continued to be referred to as rifled muskets, even though they had not been produced as smooth bore weapons originally.
The minie ball, being an elongated, conical bullet, has much more mass than a round ball of the same diameter. Springfield muskets until this time had all used .69 caliber rounds, the same as the Charleville musket that the first Springfield muskets had been based on. The U.S. Army began experimenting with smaller diameter rounds, and settled on .58 caliber for use in rifled muskets, as the .58 caliber minie ball had approximately the same mass as a .69 caliber round ball. The .58 caliber minie ball became standard starting with the Springfield Model 1855.
The Model 1855 also attempted to improve the overall fire rate of the musket by replacing the percussion lock with the Maynard tape primer
. This proved to be unreliable, and the Model 1861 reverted to the original percussion lock. The model 1863 featured only minor improvements to the Model 1861, and is often considered to be a variant of that model.
After the U.S. Civil War, many Model 1861/1863 muskets were converted to breech loading weapons, creating the Model 1865 rifle. After the change from muzzle loading to breech loading, these weapons were no longer referred to as rifled muskets and instead were simply referred to as rifles.
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
produced by the Springfield Armory
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts - from 1777 until its closing in 1968 - was the primary center for the manufacture of U.S. military firearms. After its controversial closing during the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory was declared Western Massachusetts'...
in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, for the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. In modern times, these muskets are commonly referred to by their date of design followed by the name Springfield ("1855 Springfield", for example). However, U.S. Ordnance Department documentation at the time did not use "Springfield" in the name ("Rifle Musket, Model 1855", for example).
They are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Springfield rifles". Rifles have grooves on the inside of their barrels. Smooth bore muskets do not. The term "Rifled musket
Rifled musket
The term rifled musket or rifle musket refers to a specific type of weapon made in the mid-19th century. Originally the term referred only to muskets that had been produced as a smoothbore weapon and later had their barrels rifled...
" originally referred to smooth bore muskets that later had their barrels rifled. This term was extended to include weapons that were produced with rifled barrels, as long as the overall design was very similar to the original smooth bore musket.
Smoothbore muskets:
- Model 1795 MusketModel 1795 MusketthumbThe Model 1795 Musket was a .69 caliber flintlock musket produced in the late 18th and early 19th century at both the Springfield and Harper's Ferry US Armories.The Model 1795 was the first musket to be produced in the United States...
First longarm to be manufactured at Springfield. - Model 1812 Musket .69-caliber flintlock musket
- Model 1816 MusketModel 1816 MusketthumbThe US Model 1816 Musket was a .69 caliber flintlock musket used in the United States during the early 19th century.-History:The War of 1812 had revealed many weaknesses in American muskets. The Model 1812 Musket was created in an attempt to improve both the design and manufacture of the...
.69-caliber flintlock musket - Model 1822 MusketModel 1822 MusketThe Springfield Model 1822 Musket is a .69 caliber, flintlock musket produced by the Springfield Armory.The Model 1822 was an improvement to the Model 1816 Musket...
.69-caliber flintlock musket - Model 1835 MusketSpringfield Model 1835The US Model 1835 Musket was a .69 caliber flintlock musket used in the United States during the early 19th Century.The Model 1835 was produced by the Springfield Armory, and was also produced by the Harper's Ferry Armory and other contractors. It was a smooth bore musket and fired a .69 caliber...
.69-caliber flintlock musket - Model 1840 MusketSpringfield Model 1840 Flintlock MusketThe Model 1840 Flintlock Musket was produced at Springfield Armory. The .69 caliber Musket had a 42" barrel, an overall length of 58", and a weight of 9.8 lbs...
.69-caliber flintlock (later percussion) musket - Model 1842 MusketSpringfield Model 1842The US Model 1842 Musket was a .69 caliber musket manufactured and used in the United States during the 19th Century. It is a continuation of the Model 1816 line of muskets but is generally referred to as its own model number rather than just a variant of the Model 1816.The Model 1842 was the last...
.69-caliber percussion musket
Rifled musket:
- Springfield Model 1855Springfield Model 1855The Model 1855 Springfield was a rifled musket used in the mid 19th century. It was produced by the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts.Earlier muskets had mostly been smooth bore flintlocks. In the 1840s, the unreliable flintlocks had been replaced by much more reliable and weather resistant...
.58-caliber Rifled Musket - Springfield Model 1861Springfield Model 1861The 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...
.58-caliber Rifled Musket - Springfield Model 1863Springfield Model 1863The Springfield Model 1863 rifled musket is a .58 caliber rifled musket produced by the Springfield Armory between 1863 and 1865.The Model 1863 was only a minor improvement over the Springfield Model 1861. As such, it is sometimes classified as just a variant of the Model 1861. The Model 1861, with...
.58-caliber Rifled Musket
Overview:
The Springfield Model 1795 was the first musket to be produced in the United States. It was essentially a direct copy of the French Model 1763 Charleville musket
Charleville musket
The Charleville muskets were .69 caliber French muskets used in the 18th century.- History :Marin le Bourgeoys created the first true flintlock weapons for King Louis XIII shortly after his accession to the throne in 1610. Throughout the 17th century, flintlock muskets were produced in a wide...
, which had been imported in great numbers during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. The war of 1812 revealed many weaknesses in both design and manufacturing, which the Model 1812 sought to correct. The Model 1812 borrowed many design features from the French Model 1777 Charleville musket. The Model 1816 standardized all of the changes that had been made during production of the Model 1812. This design was produced for many years with only minor changes, such as the modification to the sling swivel on the Model 1822. The Model 1835 was likewise very similar in design, but was produced using significantly different manufacturing techniques with an emphasis on machine made parts and parts interchangeability. Minor changes were again made for the Model 1840, which culminated in the Model 1842, which was the first musket to be produced with completely interchangeable, machine-made parts. As these muskets were produced with only minor changes, some historians consider the Models 1816 through 1840 to all be minor variants of a single model type.
The Model 1840 was the last musket to be produced as a flintlock. Many Model 1840 muskets were converted to percussion lock before they made it to the field. The percussion lock was seen as such an improvement that many earlier muskets (all the way back to the Model 1816) had their flint locks replaced with percussion locks.
The 1840s also saw the introduction of the minie ball
Minié ball
The Minié ball is a type of muzzle-loading spin-stabilising rifle bullet named after its co-developer, Claude-Étienne Minié, inventor of the Minié rifle...
, which allowed rifled barrels to be used with muzzle loading black powder weapons. Model 1840 and 1842 muskets were produced as smooth bore weapons, but many had their barrels rifled after production, causing them to be referred to as rifled musket
Rifled musket
The term rifled musket or rifle musket refers to a specific type of weapon made in the mid-19th century. Originally the term referred only to muskets that had been produced as a smoothbore weapon and later had their barrels rifled...
s. Subsequent models in the series continued to be referred to as rifled muskets, even though they had not been produced as smooth bore weapons originally.
The minie ball, being an elongated, conical bullet, has much more mass than a round ball of the same diameter. Springfield muskets until this time had all used .69 caliber rounds, the same as the Charleville musket that the first Springfield muskets had been based on. The U.S. Army began experimenting with smaller diameter rounds, and settled on .58 caliber for use in rifled muskets, as the .58 caliber minie ball had approximately the same mass as a .69 caliber round ball. The .58 caliber minie ball became standard starting with the Springfield Model 1855.
The Model 1855 also attempted to improve the overall fire rate of the musket by replacing the percussion lock with the Maynard tape primer
Maynard tape primer
The Maynard tape primer was a system designed by Edward Maynard to allow for more rapid reloading of muskets.-Invention:Muskets in the early 19th century were flintlocks, which had a high rate of misfire and performed poorly in damp and humid weather...
. This proved to be unreliable, and the Model 1861 reverted to the original percussion lock. The model 1863 featured only minor improvements to the Model 1861, and is often considered to be a variant of that model.
After the U.S. Civil War, many Model 1861/1863 muskets were converted to breech loading weapons, creating the Model 1865 rifle. After the change from muzzle loading to breech loading, these weapons were no longer referred to as rifled muskets and instead were simply referred to as rifles.