Essay On Civil War Weapons

Weapons of the Civil War Many traditional weapons were used in the Civil War, from knives to muskets, and bayonets to cannons. There was new technology that was introduced into warfare, through the Civil War, like rifled gun barrels, the Minie ball, and repeating rifles. A rifled gun barrel is the barrel of a rifle which has ridges grooved into it, so when the bullet is fired, it has more stability, which leads to more damage. A Minie Ball is a bullet for a rifle that has grooves around the entire surface that serves the same purpose as a rifled gun barrel, to keep the bullet steady. The Minie Ball is named after the co-inventor Claude-Étienne Minié. The repeating rifle, is probably the most advanced weapon in the Civil War. The repeating
Familiar rifles during the Civil War were the Springfield rifle, the Lorenz rifle, and the Colt revolving rifle. There also were many bullets used in the Civil War and they are; .58 or .69 caliber Minie Ball, the .58 caliber Gardner, the .577 caliber Enfield, the .52 caliber Sharps, The .69 caliber Round Shot, The .58 caliber Williams Cleaner, and The .44 caliber Colt Army.

Bayonets, and swords were not always used as a primary weapon, but they often came in handy for hand to hand combat and low ammunition situations. Some of the popular swords used in the Civil War include the Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword, Model 1832 Dragoon Saber, Model 1840 Light Artillery Saber, and the Model 1840 Army Noncommissioned Officers’ Sword.

The second largest technological advance in the Civil War was the Minie Ball which was used through the entire war. The bullets technology advances lead to greater accuracy, and more damage. Because of these advances there was more casualties, which made the Civil War a very gruesome war for all of America. The Civil War weapons may seem very weak, but in the time they were used, many people were surprised at the power and accuracy. Obviously, weapons have come a very long way, and it is fun history to look back