Colt Special Model 1861

History of Colt Special Model 1861

The Colt Special Model 1861 Musket is nothing more than a modified version of the Springfield Model 1861 Musket series. The Colt Armaments Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut produced this type to meet the US government's growing demand for high-performance firearms during the bloody American Civil War. Back in 1846, the Robbins & Lawrence Armory and Machine Shop was established in Windsor, Vermont, to manufacture a variety of products, including firearms, which excelled at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London.

In 1854, the British Army ordered 150 machine tools to store the New Enfield Armory under construction. The gun built here became the Enfield Pattern 1853 Musket.

In 1853, Robbins and Lawrence opened another factory in Hartford, Connecticut, to growing acclaim, followed by another. However, the rapid expansion proved too much for the company, and the remaining orders quickly dwindled, forcing Robbins and Lawrence to file for bankruptcy.

It was at this time that Samuel Colt moved in to procure some of the famous machinery used at Enfield and, with his usual insistence, secured government contracts for the newly built guns. Production began in September 1862 (the American Civil War was in full swing and officially began on April 12, 1861, with the southern bombing of Fort Sumter).

The new Colt gun was based on the Springfield Model 1861 musket, but was done on the Enfield machine used in the manufacture of the Enfield Model 1853 rifle. As such, Colt marketed the gun as the "best" of the two systems - and named the new version of the rifle the "Colt Special Model 1861".

The rifle conformed to the standard striking cap system widely used at the time, with a wooden frame, integral stock and durable triple-belt barrel. Shock guns are a vast improvement over previous flintlock and arquebus forms, as they do not expose the primary firing function to the elements and have fewer moving parts. It wasn't until 1841 that the United States officially adopted striking firearms as a national standard, ushering in a new era of firearm technology across the country. In fact, many existing flintlock systems were simply modified to accept percussion-based functionality while retaining their original "musket" feel.

The barrel is 40 inches long and holds a .58 caliber cartridge inside the gun. A rifle-like weapon, the Special Model 1861 was loaded from the muzzle end of the barrel in a relatively laborious loading process, using a push rod to hold down the propellant and marbles.

When not in use, the pushrod is fastened directly under the barrel. All major working parts are attached to the inside and sides of the receiver, including a right-hand hammer that cocks back before firing. The trigger is located below the receiver and has a slightly curved profile.

The unit is protected by an elongated trigger ring. Sights were noted above the muzzle and in front of the receiver.

The American Civil War continued until April 9, 1865, when approximately 131,000 Colt Model 1861 muskets were manufactured for the U.S. government. The weapon was then widely used by both sides of the conflict because of the lack of viable weapons options as the Alliance successfully blocked key ports to prevent overseas arms shipments, and the Allies were keen to reuse captured Alliance firearms to replenish their stocks. Many long-barreled rifles left over from battles are often damaged, usually at the muzzle, mainly due to not noticing stuck barrels in the heat of battle, so their barrels are shortened and essentially converted to Carbine length.

On this weapon, the applicable pushrod was also shortened to accommodate the smaller barrel.

Colt Special Model 1861 Specification

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STRUCTURAL

PERFORMANCE

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