Amoskeag Special Model 1861 Rifle-Musket
Amoskeag Manufacturing Company · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1862
Also known as: Special Model 1861 Amoskeag Contract Rifle-Musket, Amoskeag Contract Musket, U.S. Special Model 1861 (Amoskeag)
Overview
The Amoskeag Special Model 1861 Rifle-Musket is a .58 caliber percussion-cap, muzzle-loading rifled musket produced under U.S. government contract by the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company of Manchester, New Hampshire, during the American Civil War. Built to the Colt-originated Special Model 1861 pattern rather than as an exact Springfield copy, it differed in detail with split round-faced barrel bands lacking retaining springs, a tulip-headed ramrod, and a distinct lockplate and hammer contour. Chambered for the hollow-based Minié ball fired through a three-groove rifled barrel, it delivered the same accuracy and range as the standard Union rifle-musket and served as a front-line infantry arm.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4082 g (144.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1416 mm (55.75") |
| Barrel Length | 1016 mm (40.00") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Effective Range | 274 m (300 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 457 m (500 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 3 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 1829 mm (72.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 3 |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | White Metal |
Calibers
- .58 Caliber Minié Ball · primary — also known as 0.58 in, 14.7 mm, .58 Springfield
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Rifled Barrel, Muzzle Loaded, Percussion Cap, Folding Leaf Sights, Socket Bayonet Lug, Ramrod, Split Round Faced Barrel Bands, Tulip Head Ramrod
Service history
Operators
- Union Army / United States · adopted 1862 · as Special Model 1861 Contract Rifle-Musket
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 27,000 · Production years: 1862-1864
Amoskeag Manufacturing Company delivered just over 27,000 Special Model 1861 rifle-muskets under U.S. government contract.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1864
Notes
One of three makers of the Colt-designed 'Special Model 1861' pattern (alongside Colt and Lamson, Goodnow & Yale). Lock markings read 'U.S. / AMOSKEAG MFG. CO. / MANCHESTER, N.H.' and are dated by year of manufacture. Rifling twist approximately one turn in 72 inches. Weight roughly 9 lb.
Background
Amoskeag, a giant New England textile firm, retooled part of its Manchester works to feed the Union's insatiable wartime demand for infantry arms, joining Colt and Lamson, Goodnow & Yale in turning out the Special Model 1861 pattern alongside the government's own Springfield production.