Civil War Guns

Long Enfields of .577 and .58 caliber were issued to United States troops interchangeably with the Springfield rifle musket. In the same squad one might find M 1855 Rifled Muskets with M 1859 patchboxes, 1855 or 1861 types, long Enfields, and perhaps a special model from Colt, Lamson, or Amoskeag. Volunteers by the spring of 1863 were being issued Enfields and Springfields, all new from the armory or contract shops. Enfields continued to be important in the issues to troops, in spite of the decline in purchases and import contracts after 1863 . Oddly, almost none seem to have ever bom any mark indicating Enfield Royal Small Arms Factory origin—most were Birmingham; a few were London contractor guns, or those from the London Armoury Company. Turning out these and more guns for the belligerents of the American War brought prosperity to Birmingham. Even London-marked guns shared their honors with the Midlands city, since so many of the barrels, including those proved in London, we...