Pattern 1861 Enfield musketoon
| Pattern 1861 Enfield | |
|---|---|
Replica of a Pattern 1861 Enfield musketoon
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| Type | Rifled musket |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United Kingdom, United States of America, Confederate States of America |
| Wars | American Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1861 |
| Manufacturer | Royal Small Arms Factory |
| Produced | 1861– |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length | 30 in. |
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| Cartridge | Black powder, Paper |
| Caliber | .58 |
| Action | Percussion |
| Blade type | sword bayonet, when equipped. |
The Pattern 1861 Enfield was an alteration to the Pattern 1853 Enfield. The alteration gave the Pattern 1861 a faster twist (1:48), which gave it more accuracy than the longer infantry rifle. In comparison to the Pattern 1861 Enfield, it also had more grooves (five groove rifling).[1] But what set it apart was its shortened barrel length of 610mm[2] making loading faster and carrying easier.
Maneuverability
In the British Army, it was issued to artillery units, who required a weapon for personal defense and these were easily wielded from horseback. They were also imported by the Confederacy and issued to artillery and cavalry units.
They were much liked for its maneuverability. And being designed for use with the newer Minié ball bullets[3] they could have a killing range of up to 1,000 yards[4] and had devastating consequences against bayonet charging troops.
This weapon is often referred to as a musketoon but due to it having a rifled barrel is more accurately a rifle-musket. This mistake is prevalent in the popular literature probably due to the misnomer being applied to a Parker Hale reproduction.[5][6]
See also
Pattern 1853 Enfield, a longer rifle musket of very similar design.
References
- ↑ Arms and edged weapons
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