Colt Special Model 1861 Musket (1861)
The Cold Special Model 1861 musket was nothing more than a retooled Springfield Model 1861 manufactured on Enfield machinery.
With growing acclaim, Robbins and Lawrence opened up another facility in Hartford, Connecticut in 1853 with still another facility following. However, quick expansion proved too much for the company and remaining orders soon fell, forcing Robbins & Lawrence to file for Bankruptcy. It was at this time that Samuel Colt moved in to procure some of the famous machinery utilized at Enfield and, with his usual persistence, he received government orders for new-build firearms. Production began in September of 1862 (the American Civil War was now in full swing, having officially begun on April 12th, 1861 with the Southern bombardment of Fort Sumter). The new Colt guns were musket type weapons, based on the Springfield Model 1861 but completed on the Enfield machinery used in the manufacture of the Enfield Pattern 1853 Musket. As such, Colt marketed the weapon as the "best" of both systems - giving the new-version musket the name of "Colt Special Model 1861".
The musket was of the standard percussion cap system utilized heavily during this time and featured a wooden body, integrated stock and long-running three-banded barrel. Percussion guns were a vast improvement over the preceding flintlock and matchlock forms for they did not expose primary firing functions to the elements and featured less in the way of moving parts. It was not until 1841 that the United States formally took on percussion-based firearms as something of a national standard, ushering in a new age of gun engineering across the country. In fact, many existing flintlock systems were simply modified to accept a percussion-based function, retaining their original "musket" feel. The barrel measured in at 40 inches in length and the gun was chambered for a single .58 caliber cartridge. As a musket-type weapon, the Special Model 1861 was loaded from the muzzle end of the barrel in a relatively laborious loading process that involved utilization of a ramrod to drive down the propellant and cartridge ball. The ramrod was held in place just under the barrel when not in use. All of the key working components were held in and on the sides of the receiver and included a right-handed hammer that was cocked rearwards before firing. The trigger was positioned under the receiver and featured a smooth curved contour. This unit was protected by an oblong trigger ring. Sights were noted above the muzzle and ahead of the receiver.
The American Civil War would last until April 9th, 1865 to which some 131,000 Special Model 1861 muskets were produced for the US government by Colt. The weapon then saw extensive use by both sides in the conflict for, facing a shortage of viable arms options due to the successful Union blockage of key ports against overseas arms shipments, the Confederate States became keen on reusing captured Union firearms to fill their inventories. Many long-barreled muskets that remained in the aftermath of battles were often damaged, usually at their muzzles most times caused by blocked barrels going unnoticed in the heat of action, and, thusly, had their barrels shortened and essentially made into carbine lengths. Such weapons had their applicable ramrods shortened as well to compensate for the lesser barrels. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Colt Special Model 1861
Musket
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Colt Armaments Manufacturing Company - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1861
Overall Length: 0mm (0.00in)
Barrel Length: 1,016.00mm (40.00in)
Weight (Empty): 0.00lbs (0.00kg)
Cartridge: .58
Action: Percussion
Feed: Single-Shot
Rate-of-Fire: 1 rounds per minute
Sights: Front and Rear
Variants:
Special Model 1861 - Base Series Designation
Operators: Confederate States; United States
BY YEAR:
• 1700 to 1799
• 1800 to 1899
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Guns
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Aircraft Weapons
• Anti-Material Rifles
• Anti-Tank Weapons
• Automatic Rifles
• Bolt-Action Rifles
• Carbine Guns
• Flamethrowers
• Flintlock Guns
• Grenade Launchers
• Hand Grenades
• Lever-Action Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• Musket Guns
• Pistols / Handguns
• Recoilless Rifles
• Revolvers
• Rocket Launchers
• Shotguns
• Silenced Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• Special Weapon Systems
• Submachine Guns
• VIEW ALL
SPECIAL:
• 18th Century Warfare
• 3 Soldiers Statue
• Battle of Mogadishu
• Chainmail Armor
• Firearm Types Defined
• French Military Victories
• Medieval Crossbow
• Medieval Longbow
• Vietnam War Casualties
• Vietnam War Memorial
WORLD WAR 2:
• British Guns
• French Guns
• German Guns (ALL)
• German Rifles
• Italian Guns
• Japanese Guns
• Soviet Guns
• US Guns
• US Infantry Regiment-Level Guns
• Machine Guns
• Pistols
• Submachine Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• US Guns
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Machine Guns
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
COLLECTIONS:
• Ancient Weapons
• British SAS Weapons
• Civil War Guns
• Colt Guns
• Glock Guns
• GROM Polish Special Forces
• Guns of Libya
• Guns of North Korea
• Guns of Syria
• Guns of WW1 & WW2
• Heckler & Koch Guns
• Kalashnikov Guns
• Modern Russian Guns
• Navy SEAL Weapons
• Spetsnaz Weapons
• Weapons of Desert Storm
• Wild West Guns
• Winchester Guns
HOLLYWOOD/GAMES:
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
