thumb|right|300px|Springfield Model 1861 "Colt Special" rifled musket
thumb|Colt Model 1861 Special Musket
thumb|[[American Precision Museum#Past_exhibits|Lamson, Goodnow & Yale (L.G & Y.), Springfield Model 1861, built 1864]]
The Springfield Model 1861 was a Minié-type rifled musket used by the United States Army during the American Civil War. Commonly referred to as the "Springfield" (after its original place of production, Springfield, Massachusetts), it was the most widely used Union Army shoulder weapon during the Civil War, favored for its range, accuracy, and reliability.
The Model 1861 was aimed using flip-up leaf sights. The sight had two leaves, one for and the other for , and with both leaves down, the sight was set for a range of . By contrast, the British Enfield Pattern 1853, favored by the Confederate military, utilized a ladder-sight system with 100-yard (91 m) increments, using steps from and a flip-up ladder for ranges beyond . While the Enfield's sights did allow more precise sighting, the simple flip-up leaves found on the Model 1861 were more rugged and were less expensive to produce. The Enfield's sights also extended to (and further, on later models), compared to the 500-yard (460 m) maximum range of the Model 1861's sights, but for the average infantryman hitting anything beyond with either weapon was mostly a matter of luck. While the sight designs were very different, the two weapons were otherwise very similar, and had very similar effective ranges.
The Model 1861 cost around $15 each at the Springfield Armory where they were officially made.
The Model 1861 was a step forward in U.S. small arms design, being the first rifled shoulder weapon adopted and widely issued as the primary infantry weapon (earlier U.S. martial rifles such as the Harpers Ferry Model 1803 rifle were issued to riflemen rather than the infantry as a whole and production and issuance of the Model 1855 prior to the war had been limited by comparison to the Model 1861). However, some argue that its impact on the Civil War has been overstated. While more accurate in the hands of an experienced marksman, the rifled musket's accuracy was often lost in the hands of recruits who received only limited marksmanship training (the emphasis was on rate of fire). Further, most Civil War firefights were waged at a relatively close range using massed-fire tactics, minimizing the effect of the new rifled musket's long-range accuracy. Lastly, the .58 caliber bullet, when fired, followed a high parabolic trajectory. As a result, many inexperienced soldiers who did not adjust their sights would shoot over their enemies' heads in combat. There are numerous accounts of this happening in the war's earlier battles. With this in mind, soldiers were often instructed to aim low. Due to the width of the front sight on the Model 1861 Special the only bayonet that would fit was the Collins manufactured bayonet.
With the introduction of modern brass ammunition after the war, the Model 1861 served as the starting point for several breechloaders, most of which were converted Model 1861 and Model 1863 rifled muskets, culminating in the Springfield Model 1873 and its successors which would serve through the Indian Wars and all U.S. military actions until the end of the 19th century.
Modern usage
The Model 1861 is very popular today among Civil War reenactors and collectors alike for its accuracy, reliability and historical background. Original antique Springfields are expensive, so companies such as Davide Pedersoli & C., Chiappa Firearms (Armi Sport) and Euro Arms make modern reproductions at much more affordable prices.
See also
- Springfield rifle
- Springfield musket