Springfield Model 1861

The Springfield Model 1861 was a .58 caliber percussion-lock rifled musket manufactured by the Springfield Armory and numerous private contractors during the American Civil War. It was the most widely used infantry weapon of the Union Army, with approximately one million units produced during the conflict. The rifle featured a percussion cap ignition system that was far more reliable than the earlier flintlock mechanism, and its rifled barrel allowed accurate fire at ranges previously impossible for smoothbore muskets. The Springfield 1861's combination of reliability, accuracy, and mass producibility made it the definitive shoulder arm of the Civil War and one of the most significant military rifles of the 19th century.