the civil war

Weapons in the American Civil War

The American Civil War is known to be one of the bloodiest wars in history. Significant advances in weapon technology contributed to the unprecedented carnage. All types of weapons were being invented including side arms, shoulder arms, and artillery. Surveying the origins and design of only a portion demonstrates fire power had outstripped battlefield tactics by the mid-nineteenth century.

Side arms, most useful only at close range, underwent important changes during the Civil War era. A particular standout was the La Mat revolver invented by Dr. Jean Alexander Francois Le Mat, a French born New Orleans doctor. The La Mat revolver was one of the most famous pistols of the civil war#. What makes this pistol so unique is that it has two barrels. The main cylinder held nine .40 caliber rounds fired though the upper barrel and revolved around the lower .63 caliber barrel that held a charge of buckshot#. As many as 3,000 of these pistols found

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they’re way to Confederacy. Confederate Generals including P.G.T Beauregard and J.E.B. Stuart # carried La Mats.

The Colt Army Model 1860 was a more advanced model of the 1848 dragoon used in Mexican War. It quickly became the most popular sidearm of the Union Army#. What made this revolver so popular was the interchangeability of parts. The Colt model 1860 was a .44 caliber six shot weapon and weighed almost three pounds#. The cost of the Colt Army model 1860 was $13.75, which was more expensive than those made by Remington or Starr and the Government ceased the order for the gun in 1863.

Another revolver used in the war was the Starr revolver. It was a .44 caliber, six shot, weighed tree pounds and was a double action, which means has no build in or intergraded safety. It fired a combustible cartridge and could also be loaded with loose powder and ball. Union soldiers in the western theater used the Starr revolver. In 1863 the U.S. Ordinance Department urged the Starr Arms Company to replace the double action revolver with a cheaper single action model, which the company did and sold the Union 25,000 weapons for $12 each#.

During the course of the Civil War side arms became an important weapon for

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both sides and helped contribute to the death toll. Side arms were very popular for Calvary units. The reason was because of the close range fighting that Calvary units took plac...

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...onfederate War Department. It was a breech loading rapid-fire gun and was cranked operated. The gun was a very light artillery piece that shot a one-pound 1.57 caliber projectile with a range of 2,000 yards and could shot up to 65 rounds per minute. It was used in the Battle of Seven Pines and worked effectively that the Confederate War Department ordered 42 of them#. Even though this gun was so effective it had two major problems. The gun overheated very quickly and breech jammed because of the heat expansion.

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The Union created the .52 caliber breech loading Billinghurst-Requa batter. It used a light carriage to mount 25 rifled barrels side by side and when loaded and primed, the barrels fired in a sequence. Some of these guns were used in battle but saw very little action. These two weapons show that weapon technology was at a new height during this era.

Many things changed in warfare during the American Civil War. All fields saw some kind of change Ruther it was small arms, shoulder arms, artillery, or some new weapon. Weapon technology like the La Mat revolver or the first machine- gun helped make the American Civil War one of the bloodiest wars in history.

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