Before the civil war, rather outdated rifles were used. These rifles were primarily used for firing round, iron balls at enemies. But as things panned out, the evolution of the Springfield 1861 model and the Enfield model proved too much for the enemies!
Talk of Springfield 1861, this is a rifle that needs some explanation, as it went on to become one of the favorite guns of the North armies.
Springfield 1861 – The gun that changed the face of the war
Very early into the war, it was clear that the South Army had only one objective – To stretch the war as far and as long as possible. They had a lot of guts and steely resolve, and led by the legendary Robert Lee, they were clearly determined to launch surprise attacks on the North armies, which clearly was the mode of operation for the rebelling army. Guns and rifles used earlier could not do justice to the thought, which led to the inception of Springfield 1861, a gun that went on to change the face of the war, and possibly, its outcome as well.
Soon enough, soldiers took a liking to the muzzle-loading feature and the flat projectile features of this rifle. This rifle went on to become the first rifle through which the 0.58 Caliber Minie ball could be shot.
Confederate Forces on their part to be fully equipped with the latest weapons started importing the weapons from the British Government. For a long time, Civil War Rifles and their numbers were evenly matched on both the sides, until the British Government stopped importing Civil War Rifles to the Confederate forces.
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