Springfield Model 1855 Rifle-Musket
Springfield Armory (US Government) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1856
Also known as: U.S. Rifle-Musket Model 1855, Model 1855 Springfield, .58 Caliber Springfield Model 1855
Overview
The Springfield Model 1855 Rifle-Musket was the first standard-issue rifled musket of the United States Army to be chambered for the .58 caliber Minié ball. A percussion-cap, muzzle-loading long arm produced at the Springfield and Harpers Ferry armories, it introduced the troublesome Maynard tape primer system, which automatically advanced a roll of percussion caps as the hammer was cocked. Its rifled three-groove barrel and expanding Minié projectile gave it far greater range and accuracy than the smoothbore muskets it replaced, and it served as the direct predecessor to the simplified Model 1861 used throughout the American Civil War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4100 g (144.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1400 mm (55.12") |
| Barrel Length | 1000 mm (39.37") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Muzzle Velocity | 335 m/s (1099 fps) |
| Effective Range | 229 m (250 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, Maynard Tape Primer, Folding Leaf Sights, Socket Bayonet Lug, Ramrod, Patch Box
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1855 · as U.S. Rifle-Musket, Model 1855
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 75,000 · Production years: 1856-1860
Manufactured at the Springfield Armory and Harpers Ferry Armory; estimates vary from roughly 60,000 to 75,000 rifle-muskets before the simplified Model 1861 superseded it.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1860
Notes
The Maynard tape primer proved unreliable in field service and was frequently bypassed in favor of standard individual percussion caps; the system was dropped on the succeeding Model 1861. Rifling twist is approximately one turn in 72 inches (1:72). Production estimates range from roughly 47,000 at Springfield to about 60,000-75,000 across both national armories.
Background
Adopted as the U.S. Army's first .58 caliber rifled musket, the Model 1855 marked the service-wide transition from smoothbore to rifled long arms and the Minié-ball system, setting the technical pattern that would define Civil War infantry combat even after its flawed Maynard primer was abandoned.