Whitworth rifle The Whitworth Rifle was a single - shot muzzle - loaded rifle used in the last half of the 19th century . History . The Whitworth rifle was designed by Sir Joseph Whitworth , a prominent British engineer and entrepreneur . Whitworth had experimented with cannons using twisted hexagonal barrels instead of traditional round rifled barrels , which was patented in 1854 . The hexagonal shape of the barrel and bullet meant that the projectile did not have to bite into grooves as was done with conventional rifling . In 1856 , this concept was demonstrated in a series of experiments using brass howitzers . Whitworth believed that the same type of system could be used to create a more accurate rifle to replace the Pattern 1853 Enfield , which had shown some weaknesses during the recent Crimean War . Trials were held in 1857 to compare Whitworth ' s design against the Enfield . The Whitworth rifle outperformed the Enfield at a rate of about three to one in the trials , which tested the accuracy and range of both weapons . Notably , the Whitworth rifle was able to hit the target at a range of 2 , 000 yards , where the Enfield was only able to hit the same target at a range of 1 , 400 yards . While the trials were generally a success for the Whitworth rifle , the British government ultimately rejected the design because the Whitworth ' s barrel was much more prone to fouling than the Enfield , and the Whitworth rifle also cost approximately four times as much to manufacture . The Whitworth Rifle Company was able to sell the weapon to the French army , and also to the Confederacy during the U . S . Civil War . Design and features . While the barrel design of the Whitworth rifle was innovative , the rest of the rifle was similar to other rifles and rifle - muskets used at the time . The rifle was muzzle loaded , and used a percussion lock firing mechanism . The lock mechanism was very similar to that used on the Enfield rifle - musket . Whitworth chose to use a longer and more slender bullet than was common at the time , which resulted in a bore diameter of . 451 caliber , significantly smaller than the Enfield ' s . 577 caliber bore . Whitworth ' s bullets were more stable at longer ranges than the shorter and larger diameter bullets found in other rifles of the time . Whitworth also engineered the barrel with a 1 - in - 20 " twist , quite a bit tighter than the 1 - in - 78 " of the 1853 Enfield , or the later 1856 / 1858 variants with 5 groove barrels and a 1 - in - 48 " twist . The extra spin the faster twist imparted to the projectile further stabilized the bullet in flight . The Whitworth rifle weighed 9 pounds . Other long range rifles of the period tended to have much larger and heavier barrels , which made them too heavy for standard infantry use . Whitworth rifles , being used by sharpshooters , were usually rested against a tree or log while fired to increase their accuracy . Some sharpshooters carried their own forked rests for the rifle , so that a suitable rest was always available . Use . In 1860 , the British National Rifle Association held its first annual meeting at Wimbledon . Queen Victoria fired the first shot from a Whitworth rifle on a machine rest at 400 yards , and struck the bull ' s - eye 1 - 1 / 4 inch from its center . Britain was officially neutral during the American Civil War ; however , private arms manufacturers were not required to remain neutral . The Whitworth Rifle Company , for example sold the rifle to the Confederacy . The Confederate soldiers that used these rifles were referred to as Whitworth Sharpshooters . They accompanied regular infantrymen , and were usually used to eliminate Union artillery gun crews . According to popular accounts , on May 9 , 1864 , during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse , Union General John Sedgwick was chiding some of his troops for lying down in a ditch to avoid Confederate sharpshooters at a range of around 800 to 1000 yards . Shots from Confederate Whitworth rifles , easily identifiable due to the shrill whistling noises their hexagonal bullets made in flight , caused members of his staff and artillerymen to duck for cover . Sedgwick strode around in the open and was quoted as saying , " What ? Men dodging this way for single bullets ? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line ? I am ashamed of you . They couldn ' t hit an elephant at this distance . " Although ashamed , his men continued to flinch and he repeated , " I ' m ashamed of you , dodging that way . They couldn ' t hit an elephant at this distance . " Just seconds later he fell forward with a bullet hole below his left eye . At least five Confederate soldiers would later claim that they had fired the fatal shot . Earlier during the war , the Whitworth was responsible for another high - ranking death . On Sept 19 , 1863 , at the Battle of Chickamauga , an unnamed Confederate sharpshooter mortally wounded Union General William Lytle , who was leading a charge at the time . Variants . Whitworth rifles were made with barrel lengths of 33 , 36 , and 39 inches , giving the weapon an overall length of 49 , 52 , and 55 inches respectively . The barrel was attached to the stock using two or three barrel bands , depending on the barrel ' s length . Two types of bullets were used in the Whitworth rifle , hexagonal and cylindrical . The cylindrical bullets had a small hollow base which would expand and grip the hexagonal sides of the barrel , which required that the bullets be made out of very soft lead . The cylindrical bullet , however , easily upsets into the hexagonal bore under the influence of the explosion of the charge of between 80 and 90 grains of fine rifle powder used for this particular firearm - recovered bullets fired from a Whitworth rifle are as hexagonal as their factory - made counterparts . The hexagonal form bullet did not need to expand to properly grip the barrel , and therefore could be made out of a harder alloy than pure lead . The sights used on Whitworth rifles varied . Some used Enfield type flip up sights that were graduated to 1 , 200 yards in 100 yard increments . Others used a sliding blade sight with an adjustment for windage . Some had simple fixed front sights , while others used a post and globe front sight . A small number of Whitworth rifles were equipped with a four power telescopic sight , designed by Colonel Davidson which , unlike modern rifle scopes , was attached to the left side of the weapon instead of the top . While the telescopic sight was very advanced for its time , it had a reputation for leaving the user with a black eye due to the rifle ' s fairly substantial recoil . The typical Confederate rifle in the U . S . Civil war had a barrel length of 33 inches , open sights with the front blade being adjustable for windage , and a stock which extended to within a short distance of the muzzle , giving the rifle a snub - nosed appearance . Modern use . Modern reproductions of Whitworth rifles are manufactured by companies such as Parker Hale , Pedersoli , and Euro Arms . These rifles are used by Civil War re - enactors and those who have an interest in 19th century weapons . Many riflemen enjoy using these rifles in target shooting competition at ranges up to 600 yards .