Rifled muskets

Rifled muskets

The rifled muskets generally referred to as Enfields got their name from the British government's Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, England. An Enfield had a bore diameter of .577 inches and weighed 9 lbs 3 ounces with bayonet. It fired a bullet similar to the minie ball and was very accurate at 800 yards and fairly accurate at 1,100 yards. Although called Enfields, they were not made in Enfield since the British government, as owner of the factory, was sensitive about maintaining neutrality and could never sanction such sales to either North or South.

Instead, the rifled muskets used in the Civil War were made in England by private contractors in London and Birmingham. A few other models, primarily two-banded rifled equipped with a sword bayonet were also imported from England. Each side imported approximately 400,000 of these weapons during the course of the war -- making them second only to the Springfield in popularity.