Pedersoli 1862 Richmond
Davide Pedersoli & Co. S.r.l. · Rifle · In Production
Also known as: Richmond Rifle Musket, Confederate Richmond Rifle, Pedersoli 1862 Richmond Type III
Overview
The Pedersoli 1862 Richmond is a modern Italian reproduction of the Confederate Richmond Armory rifle-musket, a .58 caliber percussion muzzleloading rifle. Built by Davide Pedersoli in Gardone Val Trompia, it recreates the Springfield-pattern long arm that the Confederacy produced in Richmond, Virginia using rifling and stocking machinery seized from the Harpers Ferry Arsenal in 1861. It features the distinctive hump-backed lock plate, a roughly 39.75-inch polished steel barrel with three-groove 1:72 rifling, an American walnut stock, triple barrel bands with sling swivels and military ladder sights. Chambered for the .58 Minié ball or patched round ball and fired by a #11 percussion cap, it is used for muzzleloading target competition and American Civil War reenactment.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4599 g (162.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1422 mm (55.98") |
| Barrel Length | 1010 mm (39.76") |
| 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, Hump Back Lock Plate, Ladder Rear Sight, Triple Barrel Bands, Brass Furniture, Socket Bayonet Lug, Ramrod, Sling Swivels
Variants
- Pedersoli 1862 Richmond Type II - Lock Pattern
- Pedersoli 1862 Richmond Type III - Lock Pattern
Service history
Operators
- Muzzleloading and reenactment shooters
Production
Current-production reproduction manufactured by Davide Pedersoli & Co.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Notes
Modern black-powder reproduction, not an original antique. Retailer specs list a 39.75 in (~1,010 mm) barrel, 56 in (~1,422 mm) overall length, weight about 10.14 lb (~4,599 g) and 1:72 rifling twist. The hump-backed lock plate derives from the original Model 1855 Maynard tape-primer lock, though the reproduction uses ordinary percussion caps. Approved for reenactment by the North-South Skirmish Association. Offered in Type II and Type III lock/pattern configurations.
Background
The original Richmond rifle-muskets were made on machinery captured at the Harpers Ferry Arsenal when Virginia forces seized it in 1861 and shipped it south; their unmistakable hump-backed lock plate is a leftover of the tooling for the Maynard tape primer that the Confederacy never used, filled in with a solid boss instead.