During the Civil War a great variety of arms were in use. The percussion principle was ap plied to many of the flintlocks in the possession of the government and the musket and rifles made in the government armories were adapted to that style of ignition. Breechloading rifles and carbines of private manufacture were pur chased in large quantities, several types of re peating arms doing excellent service. Foreign weapons were also used to some extent, espe cially in the Confederate service.
At the close of the war the government deemed it desirable to transform the large num ber of muzzleloading rifles on hand into breech loaders. Many devices for this purpose were submitted to the Ordnance Board and that pre sented by Smoat, a mechanic at the Springfield armory, was adopted, and the rifles were known as the model of 1865. The progress in the development of ammunition resulted in the pro duction of the rim fire cartridge, a great im provement over the powder and ball charge enclosed in paper previously in use. Centre fire cartridges of .58 calibre, the brass shell containing 70 grains of power and 450 of lead, became the standard ammunition for the later rifles of this model. In 1868 the calibre was changed to .50, retaining the same weight of bullet and powder charge.
In 1870 the Ordnance Board recommended for trial from the many rifles submitted to them the Remington, Sharps and Ward-Burton, all taking the regulation .50-calibre cartridge. They were all tried in the field, the verdict being that none of them were superior to the Spring field. A reduction in calibre was recommended, however; resulting in the model of 1873 Spring field rifle, calibre .45 taking 70 grains of powder and a 405-grain bullet. In 1885 a bullet weigh ing 500 grains was adopted as the standard for this cartridge.
The .45-calibre Lee-Remington, and later the .236-calibre Lee straight pull rifles, both em bodying the bolt mechanism, were adopted for the United States navy.
Flintlock pistols of large calibre and smooth bore were considered an indispensable weapon of defense during the early history of our country, no traveler on horseback or by stage feeling secure unless one of these weapons was in his possession. Accuracy was a secondary consideration, as they were intended to be used only at short range, and hence were frequently loaded with buckshot as well as with single bullets. Duelling pistols were of a different
model, the stocks being attached at an extreme angle with the barrel in order to allow the owner to assume the approved duelling position, with the elbow close to the body. These pistols were made in pairs and they frequently showed a high degree of skill on the part of the makers, being elaborately engraved and inlaid.
In 1830 Samuel Colt began to devote his attention to developing a pistol with a revolv ing cylinder containing a number of chambers. His efforts were soon crowned with success, and his revolvers gained a wide reputation.
The cylinders were loaded from the muzzle with powder and ball each chamber containing an independent breeciipin adapted to a percus sion cap. These weapons were made with a solid frame. Metallic cartridges added much to their utility. Smith and Wesson brought out a revolver with a hinged frame, allowing the chambers to be exposed for loading and the simultaneous ejecting of the discharged shells. The products of these two firms soon became the models for manufacturers throughout the world.
For hunting rifles the breechloading system came into general use during the period of the Civil War. In the West the Sharps .45-calibre rifle chambered for a cartridge containing from 90 to 120 grains of powder and a 550-grain bullet, paper patched, was the standard buffalo hunter's weapon. These rifles weighed from 11 to 16 pounds and were usually equipped with set triggers.
The magazine principle was making rapid advances at this time. In the Henry rifle, the predecessor of the Winchester, the cartridges were loaded into a tube under the barrel, being forced by a spiral spring into the carrier and thrown into the chamber by the action of the lever forming the trigger guard. The standard cartridge remained the .44-40-200 in both rim and later central fire. In 1870 the express principle attracted the attention of sportsmen, consisting in the use of a large powder charge in proportion to the weight of the bullet in order to obtain a high velocity and increased striking power on large game. • The .45-90-300 cartridge was one of a number brought out in response to this demand and adapted to the re peating system of rifles.