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Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War
Colt, Sharps, Spencer, and Whitworth
Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War
Colt, Sharps, Spencer, and Whitworth
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Description
At the outset of the American Civil War, the Union Army's sharpshooters were initially equipped with the M1855 Colt revolving rifle, but it was prone to malfunction. Instead, the North's sharpshooters preferred the Sharps rifle, an innovative breech-loading weapon capable of firing up to ten shots per minute – more than three times the rate of fire offered by the standard-issue Springfield .58-caliber rifled musket. Other Union sharpshooters were equipped with the standard-issue Springfield rifled musket or the .56-56-caliber Spencer Repeating Rifle.
Conversely, the Confederacy favoured the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifled musket for its sharpshooters and also imported from Britain the Whitworth Rifle, a .45-caliber, single-shot, muzzle-loading weapon distinguished by its use of a twisted hexagonal barrel. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this is the engrossing story of the innovative rifles that saw combat in the hands of sharpshooters on both sides during the Civil War.
Product details
Published | Aug 24 2017 |
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Format | Ebook (PDF) |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 80 |
ISBN | 9781472815927 |
Imprint | Osprey Publishing |
Illustrations | 45 b/w; 19 col |
Series | Weapon |
Short code | WPN 56 |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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[I] like this book for the good overall view of the subject. The pictures of the equipment are all clear, concise, and illustrate the many different approaches taken by the manufacturers . . . I also enjoyed this book for the clear writing, good drawings and photos, and the overall treatment of the subject.
IPMS/USA
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As with the other Osprey Publishing weapons series titles I was impressed with this volume. This is a very nice reference book that contains many close-up detailed subject specific photographs and illustrations and well detailed captions. It details various sharpshooting rifles used throughout the American Civil War by both sides of the conflict.
Randy Harvey, Kit Maker Network
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Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this is the engrossing story of the innovative rifles that saw combat in the hands of sharpshooters on both sides during the Civil War.
American Gunsmith
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Pegler's grasp of each rifle's performance is impressive, as is his ability to weave these matters into a larger military and historical context. Indeed, this book will provide a welcome addition to the libraries of novice and seasoned Civil War students alike.
America's Civil War

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