Springfield Model 1861 The Springfield Model 1861 was a Minié - type rifled musket shoulder - arm used by the United States Army and Marine Corps during the American Civil War . Commonly referred to as the " Springfield " ( after its original place of production , Springfield , Massachusetts ) , it was the most widely used U . S . Army weapon during the Civil War , favored for its range , accuracy , and reliability . Overview . The barrel was 40 inches long , firing a . 58 caliber Minié ball , and the total weight was approximately 9 pounds . The Springfield had an effective range of 200 to 300 yards , and used percussion cap s to fire ( rather than the flintlock s of the 18th century , the last U . S . flintlock musket was the Model 1840 ) . Trained troops were able to fire at a rate of three aimed shots per minute while maintaining accuracy up to 500 yards , though firing distances in the war were often much shorter . The most notable difference between the Model 1861 and the earlier Model 1855 was the elimination of the Maynard tape primer for the Model 1861 ( the Maynard primer , a self - feeding primer system , was unreliable in damp weather , and the priming mechanism was expensive and time - consuming to produce ) . Further , unlike the Model 1855 , the Model 1861 was never produced in a two - banded " rifle " configuration . The Springfield was aimed using flip - up leaf sights . The sight had two leaves , one for 300 yards and the other for 500 yards , and with both leaves down , the sight was set for a range of 100 yards . By contrast , the British Pattern 1853 Enfield , favored by the Confederates , utilized a ladder - sight system with 100 yard increments , using steps from 100 to 400 yards and a flip up ladder for ranges beyond 500 yards . While the Enfield ' s sights did allow finer range settings , the Springfield ' s simple leaves were more rugged and were less expensive to produce . The Enfield ' s sights extended to 900 yards ( and further , on later models ) , compared to the 500 yard maximum range of the Springfield ' s sights . Realistically , though , hitting anything beyond 600 yards with either weapon was mostly a matter of luck . While the sight designs were very different , the two weapons were otherwise very similar , and had very similar effective ranges . The Springfield Rifle cost $ 20 each at the Springfield Armory where they were officially made . Overwhelmed by the demand , the armory opened its weapons patterns up to twenty private contractors . The most notable producer of contract Model 1861 Springfields was Colt , who made several minor design changes in their version , the " Colt Special " rifled musket . These changes included redesigned barrel bands , a new hammer , and a redesigned bolster . Several of these changes were eventually adopted by the Ordnance Department and incorporated into the Model 1863 rifled musket . The Springfield Model 1861 was equipped with a triangular socket bayonet . History . The Model 1861 was relatively scarce in the early years of the Civil War ( many troops were still using Model 1842 smoothbore d muskets and Model 1816 / 1822 muskets converted to percussion cap primers , both in . 69 caliber ) . It is unlikely that any of these were available for use in the First Battle of Bull Run . However , over time , more and more regiment s began receiving Model 1861 rifled muskets , though this upgrade appeared somewhat quicker in the Eastern Theater of Operations . Over 1 , 000 , 000 Model 1861 rifles were produced , with the Springfield Armory increasing its production during the war by contracting out to twenty other firms in the Union . The number of Model 1861 muskets produced by the Springfield Armory was 265 , 129 between January 1 , 1861 and December 31 , 1863 . According to United States Muskets , Rifles and Carbines by Arcadi Gluckman Colonel Infantry , United States Army , published 1949 . The Model 1861 was certainly a step forward in U . S . small arms design , being the first rifled shoulder weapon to be produced on such a large scale ( relatively few Model 1855 rifled muskets were produced , and the 1803 Harper ' s Ferry rifle was , and is , genuinely rare ) . However , some argue that its impact on the Civil war has been overstated . While more accurate in the hands of an experienced marksman , the rifled musket ' s accuracy was often lost in the hands of recruits who received only limited marksmanship training ( the emphasis was on rate of fire ) . Further , most Civil War firefights were waged at a relatively close range using massed - fire tactics , minimizing the effect of the new rifle ' s long - range accuracy . Lastly , the . 58 caliber bullet , when fired , followed a rainbow - like trajectory . As a result , many inexperienced soldiers who did not adjust their sights would shoot over their enemies ' heads in combat . There are numerous accounts of this happening in the war ' s earlier battles . With this in mind , soldiers were often instructed to aim low . Due to the width of the front sight on the Model 1861 Special the only bayonet that would fit was the Collins manufactured bayonet . Modern usage . The Springfield Model 1861 is very popular today among Civil War reenactors and collectors alike for its accuracy , reliability and historical background . Original antique Springfields are expensive , so companies such as Pedersoli , Armi Sport and Euro Arms make modern reproductions at a much more affordable price .