Weapons and Artillery

Small Arms

Types: Muskets, rifles, carbines, and handguns

Muskets

Description: Smoothbore, long-barreled gun carried on the shoulder
Loading Method: Muzzle
Examples: .58 caliber Springfield musket, Rifled musket
Advantage: High accuracy and long range (over a half-mile)

Rifle

Description: Shoulder gun with spiral grooves on the inside of the barrel
Loading Method: Muzzle or breech
Examples: .69 caliber Harpers Ferry rifle (muzzle), Henry repeating rifle (breech)
Advantage: High accuracy, long range, and more rapid fire with breech models

Carbines

>Description: Short-barreled rifle
Loading Method: Breech
Examples: Spencer carbine, Sharps carbine
Advantage: Spencer holds seven .52 caliber cartridges, less reloading>

Handguns>

Description: Pistols and revolvers
Loading Method: Breech
Examples: Colt revolver, Remington New Model, Starr Army Percussion
Advantage: Lightweight (less than 3 pounds), fires many round



Small Gun Ammunition>

The Minie Ball, a half-inch lead rifle bullet became more popular as it was more effective at killing its victim. Invented in 1848 by French army Captain Claude F. Minie, the minie ball was a small, hollow bullet that was easy to put in the barrel. When the gun was fired, the ball would expand, catching in the grooves and spinning as it exited the barrel. The spin made it not only more precise than other projectiles, but also more deadly.

Other Weapons

Bayonets, sabers, swords, short swords, cutlasses, Bowie knives, pikes and lances were also popular during the Civil War, although they caused far fewer fatalities than the firearms.

Source: www.civilwarhome.com

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