The term Joslyn Rifle refers to a series of rifles produced in the mid-19th century. The term is often used to refer specifically to the Joslyn Model 1861/1862, which was the first mass-produced breech-loading rifle produced at the
Springfield Armory.
History
Benjamin Franklin Joslyn was known as one of the most interesting gun designers during the
U.S. Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, but he was known more for his constant clashes with sub-contractors and the Federal Government than he was for the quality of his arms. His disputes with the government lasted long after the Civil War had ended.
["The Guns That Won the West: Firearms on the American Frontier, 1848-1898" By John Walter]
In 1855, Joslyn designed a breech-loading carbine. After successful tests, the U.S. Army ordered 50 of these rifles in 1857 in .54 caliber. The Army quickly lost interest in the rifle, but in 1858 the U.S. Navy ordered 500 of these in .58 caliber. Production problems resulted in only 150 to 200 of these rifles being delivered in 1861.
In 1861, Joslyn designed a modified version using a metal rimfire cartridge. The Federal Ordnance Department ordered 860 of these carbines, which were delivered in 1862. Most went to units from Ohio. In 1862, Joslyn received an order for 20,000 carbines. Delivery on these weapons started in 1863, but by the time the Civil War came to an end only about half of these had been delivered.
In 1865, Joslyn submitted two carbine designs for trial, both based on the Model 1864 carbine. Despite the difficulties between Joslyn and the U.S. Government, an order was placed for 5,000 of these weapons. Springfield Armory produced approximately 3,000 Joslyn rifles before hostilities ended.
In 1865 the Argentine Armed Forces acquired a small amount of M1855 and M1864 carbines; those were trialed and used by the cavalry against the natives. They remained in use until 1870 being issued to the Buenos Aires militia.
After the war ended, the U.S. Government canceled all remaining contracts, claiming that the rifles failed to meet specifications. Litigation related to these contracts persisted for many years after the war ended.
["Rifles of the World" By John Walter]
In 1871, 6,600 carbines as well as 1,600 rifles that had been converted to use the
.50-70 Government
The .50-70 Government (also called the .50-70 Musket and .50 Government) is a black powder cartridge adopted in 1866 for the Springfield Model 1866 trapdoor rifle.
Description
Derived from the .50-60-400 Joslyn, the cartridge was developed af ...
centerfire cartridge were sold to France for use in the
Franco-Prussian War. Many of these were seized by Germany, sold to Belgium and ultimately were converted to shotguns and shipped to Africa.
Design and features
The Model 1855 used combustible paper cartridges which were ignited by percussion caps. The breech was opened by means of a lever with an attached finger ring that ran along the wrist of the stock. The rifle version had a barrel and an overall length of . The carbine version had a barrel and an overall length of . The carbines purchased by the U.S. Army were .54 caliber, and the carbines purchased by the U.S. Navy were .58 caliber. A sword-type bayonet could be attached to the barrel.
The Model 1861 used metal rimfire cartridges and had a laterally hinged block called the "cap" which enveloped the standing breech and could be swung open to the left when the locking catch was released. This design was refined in 1862 with the addition of cam surfaces which improved the cartridge seating and extraction.
The Model 1861 was chambered for the
.56-56 Spencer
The .56-56 Spencer was an American black powder rifle cartridge.
Designed for the Spencer rifle and carbine, patented 6 March 1860, it was employed by cavalry during the American Civil War, first appearing at Sharpsburg in rifle form. No S ...
rimfire cartridge, and the improved Model 1862 used the .56-52 Spencer rimfire cartridge. The barrels were not designed to accept a bayonet.
The Model 1864 featured many small improvements and refinements to the Model 1862 design, and could fire either the .56-52 Spencer rimfire cartridge or a proprietary .54 caliber rimfire cartridge made by Joslyn.
The Model 1865 produced at Springfield Armory was based on the Springfield Model 1863 rifle musket, except that it used the Joslyn firing action instead of the Springfield 1863's muzzle-loading caplock system.
See also
*
Rifles in the American Civil War
During the American Civil War, an assortment of small arms found their way onto the battlefield. Though the muzzleloader percussion cap rifle was the most numerous weapon, being standard issue for the Union and Confederate armies, many other fir ...
References
External links
Springfield Armory National Historic Site
Further reading
*Norton, Charles B. ''American Breech-Loading Small Arms: A Description of Late Inventions, Including the Gatling Gun, and a Chapter on Cartridges''. Birmingham, AL: Palladium Press, 2010.
{{USCWWeapons
Early rifles
American Civil War rifles
Single-shot rifles
Hinged breechblock rifles
Guns of the American West
Hunting rifles