Category: Arms & Armament
-
The Guns of 1866—The P53 Enfield vs. the Snider-Enfield
Rob at Britishmuzzloaders does a practical demonstration of the differences of the P53 Enfield and the Snider Enfield. The Snider was basically a P53 that had been converted into a cartridge firing breech loader by adding a “shoe” at the breech designed by American Jacob Snider. As such it was comparable to the American “trapdoor” […]
-
The Confederate Cook & Brother Rifle, and a Lorenz Reproduction
Ian at Forgotten Weapons examines two products of the Confederate Cook & Brother manufactury. Cook and Brother was one of the largest and most successful of the private ordnance factories in the South during the Civil War. It was formed by two British brothers who had moved to New Orleans, Frederick and Francis Cook. They […]
-
The Robinson Confederate Sharps
Ian at Forgotten Weapons examines the Confederate Robinson carbine. S. C. Robinson’s company made some 1900 of them before the Confederate government bought the factory in early 1863. Although there were some complaints about them, the Robinsons were well made arms and quite serviceable. Unfortunately, as with so many of the Confederacy’s manufacturing efforts, there […]
-
Picketing, Skirmishing, and Sharpshooting in the Civil War
My essay on Picketing, Skirmishing, and Sharpshooting in the Civil War is up at Essential Civil War Curriculum, a Sesquicentennial project of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech. Primary sponsors are Dr. James I. (Bud) Robertson and Professor William C. (Jack) Davis, both Professors at Virginia Tech. The security of an […]
-
Short Takes
What is old is new again. Who would have thought that John C. Calhoun, in spite of having his named purged from a school, would be the most influential thinker in the liberal West? Yet nullification (okay, they call it resistance) and even secession (Calexit) are the issues of the day. It even extends to […]
-
Shooting the Sharps Rifle
The breech-loading Sharps rifle was one of the most advanced firearms used in the war. Although used by infantry and sharpshooters, it was used most extensively by Federal cavalry as a carbine, and was an important factor in their superiority in the second half of the war. Three models figured in the fracas, the 1852 […]
-
Some Fun With An Original P56 Enfield
Wonder why the Confederate sharpshooters (and I mean here the light infantry battalions) were so feared? Cap and Ball will show you with an original P56 two-band Enfield rifle, which shoots very well indeed. And, he’s in the correct uniform.