Fayetteville Rifle
Fayetteville Arsenal and Armory · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1862
Also known as: Fayetteville Armory Rifle, Fayetteville Percussion Rifle, Confederate Fayetteville Rifle
Overview
The Fayetteville Rifle is a .58 caliber percussion-cap, muzzle-loading rifle produced by the Confederate Fayetteville Arsenal and Armory in North Carolina during the American Civil War. Built largely on rifle-making machinery seized from the captured U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry, it was patterned on the U.S. Model 1855 rifle and fired the hollow-based Minié ball through a 33-inch rifled barrel. Distinguished by its brass furniture and, on early models, a humped lockplate, it served as one of the most recognizable Confederate-manufactured long arms of the war.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4310 g (152.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1257 mm (49.49") |
| Barrel Length | 838 mm (32.99") |
| 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 caliber
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Rifled Barrel, Muzzle Loaded, Percussion Cap, Folding Leaf Sights, Saber Bayonet Lug, Brass Furniture, Ramrod
Variants
- Fayetteville Rifle Type I — Early Production
- Fayetteville Rifle Type II — Lockplate Change
- Fayetteville Rifle Type III — S Hammer Lock
- Fayetteville Rifle Type IV — Late Production
Service history
Operators
- Confederate States Army · adopted 1862
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 31,762 · Production years: 1862-1865
Estimates vary widely; some sources cite roughly 300 rifles per month (about 10,000 total), while others put cumulative output as high as ~31,000 across the four types.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Produced in four recognized types (I–IV) distinguished chiefly by lockplate form and the presence or absence of a saber-bayonet lug. Total production figures vary by source from roughly 10,000 to over 30,000; the rifle was a near-copy of the U.S. M1855 made on captured Harpers Ferry tooling.
Background
When Virginia forces captured the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry in 1861, the rifle-making machinery was shipped south, much of it ending up at Fayetteville, North Carolina, where it was used to turn out Confederate copies of the U.S. M1855 rifle for the duration of the war.