You are using an out of date browser. Whitworth cost 700. The breech has sometimes been blown off or disabled through carelessness in loading. Interarms imported a bunch of mauser based Whitworth rifles (made in Manchester England) until the late nineties, they were also importing the Mark X rifles which were made in Yugoslavia. To keep the original powder load and bullet weight he reduced the bore caliber to .45, and designed a 1:20 twist hexagonal polygon rifling to achieve maximum performance. The P/1862 EW rifle in this thread has a 36 inch barrel. You must log in or register to reply here. 15 7. The Whitworths bullet by comparison made two complete turns before it left the rifles muzzle this imparted substantially more spin on the round giving it a higher velocity and more stable trajectory as it travelled down range. The cost of manufacturing the Whitworths barrel and the slower loading of the rifle when compared the the Enfield 1853 were also prohibitive factors. Pedersoli Mortimer "Whitworth" Target Rifle .451 Caliber Percussion. #1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/36224933@N07/3346759499/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitworth_rifle. A distinctive whistling noise was generated from the hexagonally shaped bullets the rifle fired. Manchester England Whitworth Express Rifle built on MARK X barreled action. Fouling could be a problem, How many rifles reached the CS troops? The range was speedily obtained with Whitworth shell, which operated beautifully, and the utmost consternation seemed to seize upon the teamsters and camp followers. But what made this rifle so special? Its designer, Joseph Whitworth, owner of the Whitworth Rifle Company, sold it to the Confederate States during the American Civil War. Army preferred to use standard paper, The standard load of the rifle was between 70-85 grains fine British powder that propelled the 530 grain bullet. American walnut halfstock with checkered wrist and forearm, satin oil finish. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The original Whitworth bullets were not cast but pressed. The most famous act of sniping during the Civil War also involved a Whitworth rifle. Designed by Sir Joseph Whitworth, an engineer known for developing a standard screw thread, in the late 1850s the Whitworth Rifle was exceptionally accurate for its time. OK, how does an Interarms /Whitworth rifle compare to a CZ 550 rifle. The Whitworth rifles have several markings. The side mounted scope allowed the use of the standard iron sights in times of need, when long range accuracy was less important when compared to the possibility of fast aiming. No one knows. The hexagonal rifling needs a mechanicallyfitting bullet and that is exactly what Whitworth designed. In Britain, Her Majesty Queen Victoria herself struck the bull's-eye of a target 400 yards away with a machine-rested Whitworth during the British National Rifle Association's first annual meeting at Wimbledon in 1860. . Whitworths were distributed through the army and often rendered valuable service by their range and accuracy. This statement is based on an advertisement that appeared in the New York Tribune on March 12, 1862, offering 50 Whitworth rifles for sale with 15000 cartridges. 1998 2010 Davide Pedersoli & C. All right reserved -, It is without question that the most feared rifle of the American Civil War was the British, The production of the new rifle started in 1857 within England with a revolutionary barrel, Although the original bullet was hexagonal, the C.S. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Their field-ammunition the Confederates consider to he far superior to that of the Yankees. Astonishingly during British Army trials in 1857, the Whitworth was able to strike a target out to 2000 yards, over 500 yards further than the Enfield 1853 was capable of. A limited number of Whitworths were fitted with a Davidson telescopic sight, mounted to the left-hand side of the barrel to prevent contact with the percussion lock mechanism. It is not clear how many Whitworth rifles reached the Confederate shores, and sometimes it is also a hard task to differentiate the Whitworth armed sharpshooters from other snipers of the C.S. Accounts vary as to the distance from which the shot was taken, with the range being put anywhere from 500 to 1000 yards. ", The Whitworth's main problem for the Confed. Army preferred to use standard paperwrapped cylindrical bullets. Answer (1 of 4): Whitworth was a British inventor who developed several firearms and breech loading cannons for use in war. Handles extremely well for a .375. A single 70-pdr. #6. A long-running, single-piece wood stock made up the body, buttstock, grip handle, and forend while all metal components were inlaid as normal. Jan 8, 2022. We shoot the iconic hexagonal-bore Whitworth rifle-musket, using historically accurate paper cartridges. Right . According to Joan Anderson Morrow, there is a possibility that the Whitworth was used by Union troops as well. The history of this beautiful rifle began in 1854 when Lord Harding, Commander in Chief of the British Army asked Sir Joseph Whitworth to do a full detailed research on bore rifling. The Whitworth breech loading 12-pdr., a British-made gun, was especially designed for long-range use. Answer (1 of 3): Since I own a reproduction Whitworth I can give you a little insight on shooting them. It fired a hexagonal bullet out to 1000 yards. 5700 Whitworth rifles manufactured by different British companies. Napoleon muzzleloader, I'he Whitworth also required special ammunition. The Whitworth, as mentioned earlier, was heavily based on the Pattern 1853 Enfield, although several elements were changed. The barrel of the weapon was the major difference with an innovation incorporated into its design. He used 1:25 spiral for the .577 bores, but also noticed that the increased weight of the bullet needed an increased charge as well to have a flat trajectory. The rifle was also extremely popular with the civilian target shooting market with the vast majority of the rifles manufactured being privately purchased, these too were often outfitted with telescopic sights. First, let's define "accurate". In May, 1863, one of its officials reported that: "The Whitworth shells, fabricated at Richmond, are a decided success; they did admirable execution." Even with this, the Confederate users found the range and accuracy to be astonishing. A total of approximately 13,000 (or a little more) Whitworth muzzleloading rifles (including 5,400 for the military) were manufactured in Britain during the period from 1857 to 1865. Confederate forces decided to buy the Whitworth to fulfill this role, with units equipped with the Whitworth being named (and unimaginatively at that) "Whitworth Sharpshooters". The British Whitworth Company made about 13,700 of these rifles. The belted bullet of the Brunswick rifle acted the same way, but the Whitworth theory was far superior. Two Whitworths shipped to South Australia in 1867 were accompanied by a variety of ordnance: "The projectiles adapted to it consist of solid shot, common and shrapnell shell, rifled spheres and case shot. The most common type of Confederate Whitworth rifle was a 33 barrel rifle, featuring an Enfield pattern stock with two iron barrel bands, iron sights and Enfield pattern lock. Although the original bullet was hexagonal, the C.S. Whitworth Rifle fitted with an early scope (source). Why was it necessary sometimes to deploy entire artillery batteries to silence one single Whitworth sharpshooter? For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Three years later the British National Rifle Association held its inaugural shoot on Londons Wimbledon common, with Queen Victoria as their guest. Likewise, several companies produce replica weapons, among them Parker Hale, Pedersoli and Euro Arms, all of whom produce replicas for recreational use and Civil War re-enactments. These guns were essentially too accurate at too long a range to be wholly effective, given the target acquisition and spotting methods of the period. In 1862 Whitworth's company was reorganized as the Manchester Ordnance & Rifle Company. They are the most beautifully made and most accurate of all of Whitworth's rifle making endeavors. The long bullet had an excellent sectional density and BC compared to other contemporary designs. The earlier Whitworths were produced by the 'Whitworth Rifle Company, Manchester'. Fouling could be a problem, however. #2. Spherical case (shell filled with musket-balls) is the most successful projectile they use. Army armed with similar small bore rifles like the Kerr. A battery of six 2.75-in. The second type of bullet used was much like a Minie ball, round in shape which required it to deform to engage with the rifling. Confederate Whitworth Sniper: Hexagonal Bullets in 1860 October 12, 2017 Ian McCollum Percussion, Single Shot Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Video 55 Sir Joseph Whitworth is quite the famous name in engineering circles, credited with the development of such things as Whitworth threading (the first standardized thread pattern) and engineer's blue. JavaScript is disabled. Apr 26, 2011. 15 7. ", Continue reading here: Select Bibliography, Little Acorns Low Liability Laying System, Wiard Field Artillery - Gettysburg National, Confederate Cavalry Carbines and Artillery Musketoons continued. O/R. He took out his first patentthe first of 47in 1834. Of course these won't be BIG BORES, but with a little gunsmithing they can be. After considerable difficulty, we succeeded in getting the range, which was found to be 2,700 yards with Hall's three guns, and soon silenced it It did not reopen from that point,". Accounts vary as to the distance from which the shot was taken, with the range being put anywhere from 500 to 1000 yards. (Library of Congress), through the blockade did not always reach their destination, the Richmond Arsenal went to work to replicate Whitworth's ammunition. The trick was finding a proper spot lor such a long-ranged, accurate weapon. It was among the first firearms to be used with a deployable stand to stabilize the gun. erates, besides the cost of its ammunition and difficulty of finding a proper place to site it, was the delicacy of its breechloading system in an age when soldiers were not used to mechanical objects. . These Whitworth Sharpshooter units proved very effective, famously being responsible forGeneral John Sedgwicks death, who was shot just below the eye at an estimated range of 800 yards as he urged his men to advance from their cover. Five Confederate soldiers would later claim to making the shot. The Whitworth rifle was designed by Sir Joseph Whitworth, a prominent British engineer and entrepreneur. The Whitworth rifle was a British-made rifled musket heavily based on the Pattern 1853 Enfield. The intended design of bullet was hexagonal in shape, matching the bore of the barrel. The history of this beautiful rifle began in 1854 when Lord Harding, Commander in Chief of the British Army asked Sir Joseph Whitworth to do a full detailed research on bore rifling. It was on the order of 2 to 3 times more accurate at. There were two types of sights . In May, 1863, one of its officials reported that: "The Whitworth shells, fabricated at Richmond, are a decided success; they did admirable execution. The Enfield 1853 Pattern used 3-groove turn rifling using the Mini inspired hollow based bullet which expanded to grip the grooves. History reportage and analysis of a type I see rarely. This rare 1863 dated Enfield rifle with broad arrow proof has 33 barrel with Whitworth's unique hexagonal 52 bore. The Whitworth would not be used in anger by Britain, becoming more of a collector's gun. And to finish this short essay, here are some photos of our new Whitworth rifle replica, ready to hit the market in early 2016. The result was exceptional range, as much as six miles. The Whitworth was available with two types of bullet shapes. Whitworth on enemy ships at a range of three miles with notable accuracy in December, 1K62. As to reliability and overall quality. In modern times, original Whitworths are very valuable collector's pieces, being claimed by some to be the very first sniper rifle. .005" deep rifling 1-21" twist with 5 lands and grooves. Express sights. The Whitworth rifle was an English-made percussion rifle used in the latter half of the 19th century. The Confederacy imported a small number of the rifles from the Whitworth Rifle Company of Manchester, England, beginning in 1862. It does not include the newly made rifles by Parker Hale or other modern. The standard load of the rifle was between 70-85 grains fine British powder that propelled the 530 grain bullet. The Whitworth Rifle, named after its creator Joseph Whitworth (1803-1887) of England, was a rifled field gun seeing service during the American Civil War (1861-1865). (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Welcome to Historical Firearms, a site that looks at the history, development and use of firearms, as well as wider military history. It was so well posted as to be entirely screened from our batteries across the river, and at such a distance, and so hid by trees, as to be hardly discernible by the naked eye. #1. In Manchester, England, Sir Joseph Whitworth produced the most accurate rifles in the world during the 1860srifles used to great effect by Confederate sharpshooters during the Civil War. In America however, the interest in sharpshooters became greater and, by the time of the American Civil War, the need to use a long range rifle to defeat artillery crews became greater. Some writers and commentators suggest that around 250 whitworths of all types were imported; others say there were . The Whitworth cannon is a Civil War artillery piece imported from England by both sides during the Civil War. Confederate ordnance officers also found the Whitworth carriages not only "cumbrous," but also incapable of handling the stress of service. Pedersoli model Mortimer "Whitworth" Target Rifle. This stand was forked to give as much stability and width as possible, improving the sharpshooters' accuracy, although the shooter would have to find thier own stand to accommodate the Whitworth. ", Even with this, the Confederate users found the range and accuracy to be astonishing. But one thing is certain. His bullet matched the bore completely and it was able to reach higher velocities as the chance of the bullet jumping the rifling was minimal. The slow loading of the Whitworth was offset by issuing the rifle to a few selected marksmen who were protected by the rest of the unit armed with more conventional mini ball percussion rifles. The Whitworth rifle was a British-made rifled musket heavily based on the Pattern 1853 Enfield. The result was the Whitworth rifle, made to be superior to the 1853 Enfield rifle that was commonly used at that time, was able to hit the target out past 1,000 yards versus the Enfield. At Fredericksburg, as Federals massed for their assault in December, 1862, a Union officer later reported that: "About noon on Sunday they planted a Whitworth gun in the bend of the Massaponax, which annoyed us considerably, throwing its bolts over the whole of the plain. We know about cca. The Whitworth rifle was equipped with modified military iron sights, but many of them were also equipped with high precision globe sights or with a side mounted Davidson scope. It is without question that the most feared rifle of the American Civil War was the British made Whitworth rifle imported by the Confederacy and delivered by fearless blockade runners thru the blockade of the U.S. Navy. An estimated 250 rifles were sold to the Confederacy during the war and these proved to be as accurate in the field as they did during trials. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Standard_Whitworth, WTS: Early war, original, all correct M1 Carbine *3,500*. The internal stresses added to the bore during the compression process proved helpful in absorbing the stress of increased loads, lengthening the lifetime of the barrel. Sights varied from one Whitworth to another with a variety of leaf sights, Enfield sights and others used on Whitworths. The paperwrapped lead slug had a tight fit in the bore and sealed the powder gases well. Fine bead and flip up night sight on the front. The ammunition being very expensive, we soon desisted. Whitworth's rifle made out . makers. m1west. We have records of many Whitworth kills at well over 1500 yards. We are also the home of "Bad Boy" TM big bore rifles and rifle kits, and "Whitworth Arms" TM custom firearms. m1west. There are some 375 bullets in the low 200gr range that can be tuned to very nice vertical in the 375. The Whitwortharmed snipers, operating in small teams or pairs often created heavy losses on distant artillery troops, officers, or regular enemy soldiers. Here one of our "home brew" CNC made molds. Ie; it curves with the twist. Austrian officer Fit/Gerald Ross summed up the Confederate Whitworth experience in July, lSti!5: "There are a few Whitworth guns, which are very accurate and of great range, but require much care. The Whitworth name is marked twice on the receiver ring, and the barrel is engraved with the chambering. Whitworth had experimented with cannons using twisted hexagonal barrels instead of traditional round rifled barrels, which was patented in 1854. This is a military match Whitworth (i.e., a full stocked target rifle, not equipped for a bayonet and having delicate sights unsuitable for military use. This is a magnificent, cased Match Target Whitworth, made by the Whitworth Rifle Company, Manchester, England in 1862. This gun is the highest condition Whitworth I have ever seen. Oct 15, 2007. A variety of barrel lengths were available (33 in, 36 in or 39 in) attached by either two or three barrel bands, depending on length. They were superseded by the Pattern 1863 Enfield Whitworth Rifle, of which about 8000 were made, those have a shorter barrel of steel & take a sword (Yataghan style) bayonet. Lighter and shorter than Brno 602, for example, yet well balanced with very . (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); No one knows. Very few (perhaps being at the lower end of between 60 and 120) of these costly target rifles were purchased and used by the Confederacy. Whitworth utilised a hexagonally rifled barrel which combine with its proprietary pointed hexagonal bullet produced impressive accuracy (see image #3). One fixed (100 yds) and two flip up leaf (200 & 300 yds) rear sights. Whitworth is a Breech-Loader The Whitworth is a breech-loader. Snipers Hide is a community of Snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. It took place on May 9, 1864, at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. (And I did not know about the Queen firing one. Maybe a few tens, maybe a few hundreds. The gun has a 36" barrel. . It is recommended to use exact copies of the Whitworth's distinctive hexagonal bullet, with several companies producing replica molds for the distinctive bullet. Weren't the original whitworth actions made by FN and the later MkX actions made by Zastsva? We cut them from regular 6082 aluminium, works as well as anything, and for casts out of pure lead calculate a shrink of approx 6/100mm. Could a Whitworth with a 458 Win Mag barrel be converted to 458 Lott? Their breech-loading arrangements, however, often worked with difficulty and every one of the six was at some time disabled by breaking of some of its parts, but all were repaired and kept in service. E, P. Alexander, the Chief of Artillery, First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, recalled that: "The muzzle-loading 6-pdr, and six breech-loading 12-pdr. A single-shot muzzleloader with excellent long-range accuracy for its era, especially when used with a telescopic sight, the Whitworth rifle was widely regarded as the world's first sniper rifle. Mark that due CNC we cut the 1:20 rifling twist into the mold split. No one can really know the number for sure, because of the lack of accurate records at the time. Barrel lengths varied from 33-, 36-, and 39-inches long to suit needed engagement ranges though the 33-inch model was . Ilardaway opened fire with his battery's 12-pdr. (?) The Match Target Rifle was Whitworth's highest achievement. The Whitworth is most associated with the Confederacy, for most of these guns went south. Whitworth spent years experimenting with his hexagonal rifling concept and investigating the optimal calibre for his rifle the result of these experiments was an extremely accurate rifle. It fired a 12 pound, 11 ounce, 2.75 inch projectile from a steel tube which used a hexagonal design rather than traditional rifling. The effective range and accuracy of the Whitworth made the rifle an excellent marksmans rifle and those sold to the Confederacy during the American Civil War were sometimes fitted with rudimentary low power telescopic sights. Whitworth was a well-known successful engineer, but had never designed a rifle before, so he was not overwhelmed by preconceptions. The most famous act of sniping during the Civil War also involved a Whitworth rifle. As a result when trialled by the British Army in 1857, the Whitworth dramatically out shot the Enfield then in service. The production of the new rifle started in 1857 within England with a revolutionary barrelmaking method. Big Al said: You have to go north of two grand to come close to these rifles that cost under 400.00 bucks in the 70's. If you haunt and hunt the pawn shops you can find Interarms in the $300-$350 range. Contents 1 Design Details 2 Ammunition 3 Usage 4 Resources Design Details Designed by Sir Joseph Whitworth, an engineer known for developing a standard screw thread, in the late 1850s the Whitworth Rifle was exceptionally accurate for its time. Although these weapons did see limited service on the I'eninsul.i, they were soon installed in the fixed defenses of Washington, never to be fired in anger. Whitworth was a well-known successful engineer, but had never designed a rifle before, so he was not overwhelmed by preconceptions. When it was first built, the Whitworth was considerably more accurate than the British M1853 rifled musket. Wagons were seen hurrying off in every direction from the park, while we plied them with solid bolts as long as we thought it would pay. The barrel was made of high quality cast steel and it was compressed in a fluid state. The Whitworth Rifle was given a basic design arrangement consistent with the period. Our Price: sold. Is the Whitworth registry for Guns made by Whitworth only or any original gun manufactured with the 6 sided ,451 hex bore under the Whitworth patent l . We know about quite a few hexagonal molds, some of them made from a piece cut from the barrel. 32 5/8" long 1/2 octagon broach cut blued barrel wtih wedding bands. The mechanicallyfitting bullet had some heritage in the British military art. Not, however, as complicated as those of the later Match Rifles), serial number 449. (Most of these rifled guns were of .451 caliber). The Whitworth was designed to use a longer and more slenderbullet than the relatively new .58 calibre Minie ball used with the Pattern 1853 Enfield. The Whitworth rifle used a hexagonal rifling system with a hexagonal bullet that tightly fit the barrel. This allowed for a very accurate and consistent shots at long distan. It took place on May 9, 1864, at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Whitworths, complete with carriages, ammunition, and machinery for making more projectiles was donated to the U.S. government in 1861 by a group of American expatriates. As a general field piece, the efficiency was impaired by its weight and the very cumbrous English carriage on which it was mounted." To avoid this problem each rifle was delivered with a scraper included. The twisted hexagonal bore imparted a steadiness of flight to its .45 caliber bullet, and made this rifle the favorite of Confederate sharpshooters. None could be found, for example, in the heavily wooded Chancellorsville campaign until late in the action, when, as a Confederate artillery officer reported: 'The enemy's stragglers were discovered making into the road at a point about 1.5 miles from the river, where the head of a hollow curved around toward Falmouth and kept them out of view until they reached this main ridge. in that it is a commercially made Whitworth rifle by London Armoury Company. 1 understand that the Whitworth guns which are now sent out are muzzle-loading. Good work! Tests in England showed that it had a range of 2,600 yards at 5 degrees elevation; at 10 degrees, 4,500 yards; at 20 degrees, 7,000; and at 35 degrees, an astonishing 10,000 yards. In one famed incident during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Union General John Sedgewick was shot and killed by a Whitworth Sharpshooter, having just remarked that "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance". The comparative tests of 1857-58 proved that the small bore military rifle is clearly superior compared to the standard issue Enfield rifle muskets.
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