The Austrian Lorenz

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 depot. Austrian rifles, properly titled “rifle muskets,” were obtained in the following descriptions:
Rifle muskets, Austrian, leaf sight, quadrangular
bayonet ...............................Caliber .59
Rifle muskets, Austrian, leaf sight, quadrangular
bayonet ...............................Caliber    .58
Rifle muskets, Austrian, block sight, quadrangular
bayonet ...............................Caliber    .58
Rifle muskets, Austrian, leaf sight, quadrangular
bayonet ...............................Caliber    .57
Rifle muskets, Austrian, block sight, quadrangular
bayonet ...............................Caliber    .577
Rifle muskets, Austrian, quadrangular bayonet ..Caliber .55 Rifle muskets, Austrian, quadrangular bayonet ..Caliber .54

Springfield rifle copy believed imported by William Hahn is dead ringer for U.S. regulation rifle but it is not known if maker had U.S. gauges or simply did a good job copying.

All these weapons were of one basic pattern, newly adopted by the Austrian Army in 1854. Supplies were obtained from three principal sources: the Government arsenal in Vienna, the gun shops and local Vienna factories such as that of Johann and Ferdinand Fruwirth, and Pirko, and arms made by the gunmakers of Ferlach in the western Austro-Hungarian Empire province of Carinthia, due north of Venice (near today’s Italian border). This town is still a thriving center of the gun trade, producing sporting rifles and shotguns for the world markets. Originally settled by 400 Belgian gunmakers who were transplanted from Liege to Ferlach (where iron ore and water power was abundant) about 1500, the town during the Napoleonic Wars turned out hundreds of thousands of muskets and pistols. Study of Austrian arms will undoubtedly re veal Ferlach marks of origin on many.

Calibers between .59 and .54 existed because these rifles were adopted in .54 by Austria, later offered by speculators bored out to various sizes. Those bored out were supposed to be so enlarged as to take the United States Government .58 Minie bullet, but not all the gunsmiths had the same idea on dimensions. When imported shipments were eventually examined and classified, caliber differences served to place almost all of those not right on .58 caliber into reserve stores. The original Lorenz rifle bullet was a sugarloaf slug of 450 grains, designed by London rifle- maker Wilkinson, tested at Enfield in 1852. It had two grease grooves, .54 caliber, was propelled by 62 grains of powder. The rifle barrel is 3 7 Vs inches long from tang line at breech to muzzle. Shape is octagon at breech, blending into round about 8 to 10 inches from tang line, about 2 inches forwardd of rear sight base. Rounded-end, beveled lockplate 5 Vi inches long, cut for nipple bolster which is forged to barrel. Iron musket butt plate, cheek-piece raised on left of butt. Counter plate plain. Guard bow oval, tangs rounded, extreme length of tang ends 10 Vi inches along stock curve. Rear band iron, spring fastened, widened to protect stock where ramrod enters. Band placed 13V4 inches from tang line, %-inch wide. Middle band placed 27 Vs inches from tang line, retained by a spring pegged into a hole, spring to rear. Swivel for a l^s/sinch sling permanently riveted to guard bow and middle band. Middle band also widened along ramrod channel. Front band located 31% inches from tang line, shaped to shroud stock tip, rounded to funnel ramrod into stock groove, and formed to top of barrel with relief cut at front edge to permit disassembly, band being slid forward off the muzzle over the bayonet-stud sight base. Front band also retained by peg spring to rear. Front sight stud of unique form, a long oval placed diagonally on barrel, with foresight blade shaped integral in line with barrel.

German-made Springfield rifle in West Point Museum bears number 8 on most parts including cone seat clean-out screw. Hammer nose is rounded while date numerals appear individually stamped.

Serial number 22 appears on various parts of this example of German Springfield. Barrel was made in and is stamped suhl but modern-day record searchers are stymied by Iron Curtain and document losses of many Wars. No. 22 is in collection of Charles Wynkoop of Tulsa.

The cockeyed shape is characteristic of Austrian quadrangular bayonet rifles, as the bayonet has slanted groove to attach. Ramrod for .54-inch Lorenz rifle has elongated head protected by a brass band to seat original bullet; the original ramrod or .58 Springfield pattern rod could be found in these guns, the latter seeming proof of issue and use with .58 cartridges during Civil War, if of bored out pattern. Furniture all iron; both bright and blued mountings are found. Barrel blued or bright. Lock hardened; case color may exist on new specimens but most of those in the Smithsonian and Rock Island Arsenals, and Liege museums are bright polished. Typical specimen has following marks: On lock—Austrian eagle and “860,” believed to be “1860,” the date of manufacture. Bands are numbered on left “13”; front band with six-pointed star in circle, middle band with circled symbol over punch dot, number “13” only on rear band. Left breech stamped with a tiny “L.” Name on top of breech flat is indistinct, —DER clear, believed to be name of contractor “Werder,” Bavarian arms maker Johann Ludwig Werder (1808-1885) who later developed the breech-loading “Lightning” pistols and carbines for Austrian service. The basic Lorenz 1854 rifle musket is 53 inches long, the stocks on most are of good walnut. Though interchangeability has not been tested, the introduction of machinery in the manufacture of small arms in Austria took place during the early years of the 1850’s, and probably most parts will interchange.
The quadrangular bayonet is a clasp type similar to that of the Springfield and Enfield, but the 19Vi- inch blade, sharply pointed, is shaped like a cross the width as it parallels the line of bore being wider than the thickness rib. At its widest it measures about 1 1/16 inches, tapering to the point, and is encased in a wooden, leather-covered scabbard tipped with iron. The groove for the muzzle stud is on a bias or angle curving to the left or counterclockwise, blade to the right when installed on the gun. A typical bayonet is stamped on the arm where blade joins socket (evidently welded) with a “T” in a circle, “3,” and an “S” with an arrow struck through it. The issue number is stamped on the other side.
Aside from calibers, only one of which is the original boring (.54 inch), the sights distinguish the two basic patterns of Lorenz arms. The rifle musket issued to third rank men in the Austrian Army (file closers and skirmishers), was sighted to 820 yards with a curved leaf which elevated. The plain infantry musket had a fixed sight blade graduated to 245 yards. Though a feature of Lorenz’s design was the tige to aid in upsetting the bullet to bore-size in loading, the rifle muskets did not have the tige fitted.