Civil War Guns

Of secondary importance to the Lorenz arms but of major interest to the arms collector and historian were another class of Austrian guns, the Consolprimed muskets, rifles, and pistols which were imported by the North. A few of these unusual weapons, erroneously termed “pill lock” by collectors, may have been used by the South. But Confederate supplies of even regular percussion caps were always strained— the special tube-like detonators used in the Consol lock guns would have been almost impossible to supply. The North was in better shape, and the tally at War’s end listed “249,641,400 percussion primers, Austrian, &c......$11,683.50” as having been procured for the Consol-lock guns.

Silas Dingee originally offered Austrian make rifles which seem definitely to have been of the late Model 1854 Lorenz pattern, of the tige or skirmisher’s type with long range rear sight, and the line infantry model with plain sight. These sights are described variously as “short sight” and “long sight,” and “leaf sight” and “block sight.” Calibers of the arms supplied were .58, and also .577, as well as .54, .55, and .59. The model arm was bright; those to be delivered were to be “browned,” that is, finished with the cold-rust process to a satiny blue-black. The order specified arms of .58 caliber. Because of the differences, the matter ultimately was brought before Lincoln. He directed that the arms be assessed based on the contract price for arms equal to the standard, at $19, and all others should be valued accordingly. The prices eventually ranged between $16 and $17, as agreed upon by Major Hagner and Dingee’s office. By the middle of March, 1862 , 8,000 to 9,000 of some 12,000...

This was reserved for the Jaeger carbine, one of the more unusual of the imported weapons since it is illustrated in the Atlas of the Official Records and is considered as a United States substitute standard weapon. The records show that 29,850 of the Jaeger carbines were imported. Fruwirth’s name stamped in a sunken oval about % of an inch long at the breech is on some guns. “Joh-Fruwirth a Wienn” is also found. A typical Jaeger is 43 Vi inches overall, with a 26-inch octagon barrel. From the muzzle back 4Vi inches the barrel is turned round to accommodate an unusual socket bayonet resembling the Brown Bess sword bayonet, and has a clasp. The bayonet stud is beneath the barrel; front sight is brass, rear sight in two patterns. The bayonet is distinctive because of its diagonal slot, and because the blade is wide and flat, about 1% inches wide, single edged as a sword. Except near the point both edges are sharp. There is no guard or hilt. Total length is 23 inches. Caliber standard,...

Second in importance to the British Enfields to both sides were rifles obtained from Austria. Both Caleb Huse and later Union buyers scoured the arsenals and arms trade firms, buying weapons. Huse later recalled that he arranged to import 100,000 weapons, while among the North’s imports were listed 226,924 Austrian rifles to a gross value of $2,640,704.41. These rifles existed in several varieties, although they were all of the pattern nominally called “Lorenz Model 1854 .” Because the shape of the lockplate suggested the British 1853 rifle, and because the barrels and fittings of some Austrian rifles were colored with a rust-process to a blue black finish like the Enfields, they were oc- casionally called “Austrian Enfields,” by both vendors and the troops. Graded as arms of the second class by the U. S. Ordnance, they were lumped as inferior to United States percussion altered rifle muskets .69 and Remington-Maynard arms and P. S. Justice’s miscellany obtained from his Philadelphia...

In records of arms purchased by the Union, the reference to “Springfield pattern German rifled muskets” is an enigma to arms students. Listed as No. 181 in the collection of the U.S. Cartridge Company is a “United States Model of 1861 , Rifled Percussion Musket, caliber .58. Stamped on the lock 1861 , U.S. and an eagle (the USCC catalog illustrates an eagle facing to the eagle’s right, whereas the German guns known show eagles facing to their left); curly-maple stock. Made for the United States Government during the first year of the Civil War , in Germany. Note—A very rare arm.”

State of New York, October 1, 1862 , 10,737 long Enfield rifle muskets; $185,505.59, plus “Amount of commission and cost of inspection of 10,737 rifles. $3,825.37.” Frank Otard, New York, 775 long Enfield rifles, June-August 1862 . F. Otard and Arthur Wigert, New York, 2,554 Enfields, between September 30, 1862 and January 1863 . Arthur Wigert had obtained an order 5 September  1861 , to deliver 10,000 rifles of the Chasseurs de Vincennes pattern at $23.50, in 55 days. Schuyler in Paris wrote to Secretary Cameron October 10, 1861 , saying “He cannot, of course, fulfill. Such arms do not exist in the markets at any price.” Wigert asked for an extension of time to eight months, but Ripley refused on 24 October. Wigert then on 26 October wrote to the Secretary, offering 10,000 Chasseurs de Vincennes rifles, in eight months, the same proposal he had failed with in Ripley’s care. Assistant Secretary Thomas A. Scott endorsed this letter with “The Secretary desires the guns referred to...

Arms from the Association were from various makers. No special tabulation now exists by which a name could be connected with this order. Records show barrels passing proof at Birmingham as follows: 1856 384,900 1857 490,037 1858 333,478 1859 450,753 1860 486,617 1861 656,605 1862 1,131,306 1863 No record 1864 No record 1865 552,109 The prewar years and 1865 indicate the norm for the Trade was about a half million barrels annually. A large proportion of these were common sporting gun and rifle barrels; presumably, also, pistols. But the rise in 1860 -61 was caused by the excitement in Eng- land that they might go to War with France at any minute. A Volunteer Rifle movement swept the United Kingdom and yoemanry regiments were formed overnight. Equipped at private expense, their rifles were finely finished. For this market the Whitworth and Kerr sharpshooter rifles were aimed.

Not only Leetch and Calisher seem to have had friends here, but gunmakers outside of New York speculated on foreign imports, large and small. For example, F. H. Lawson, Cincinnati, delivered 100 Enfield sword bayonet rifles at $22 on December 18,  1861 . W. Baily Lang & Company, New York, from June 1862 through April, 1863 , delivered $93,537.92 worth of Enfields. John P. Moore’s Sons, New York, delivered a steady flow of small lots of two basic types, the long and short; and of two basic origins, English and U. S. make. On June 10, 1862 , 840 guns and on June 30, 240 more priced at $15 each were delivered under the designation of “American rifle, long Enfield pattern, and appendages.”

Such a rifle with Connecticut provenance and the appearance of having been used in the field, is Leetch patent breechloader in the author’s collection numbered “162.” A short type 1859 Enfield-like rifle, the Leetch gun has a light back-action lock and a receiver housing or breech box, into which the barrel is screwed. The breech box is open to the right side, and along its bottom edge is a hinge pin, on which swings a receiver of the same conception as the Hall, but rotating on the hinge, instead of swinging upward. The receiver carries the nipple, and the breech box is notched at the back so the nipple is in line with the hammer when the breech is closed. A folding lever on the receiver, when pivoted out, uncams the receiver from its joint with the barrel, and allows it to be swung outward. The charge goes into the front of the receiver. Then, swung closed, the cam forces the receiver tightly forward when the lever is folded down along side of the receiver. An added safety is a push...