The Richmond Rifle is entwined in American Civil War history. They were used almost exclusively in the eastern theater and although relatively small in number in comparison to the amount of Springfields and Enfields used, the Richmond Rifle still packed a big punch.

At Henry Krank, we have a range of reproduction Euroarms Richmond Percussion Rifles which are available to purchase on a Firearms Certificate. You can view our range here.

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, the standing army of the United States totaled less than 18,000 men. By the end of the conflict in 1865 the Union forces alone would number over one million men! The point here is to emphasise how rapidly both sides raised large armies. Naturally at the outset with so many men North and South joining the ranks, there was a real shortage of kit and equipment, particularly firearms.

Richmond Rifle

The new Confederate States of America was at a particular disadvantage with the vast majority of large-scale manufacturing centers located in the North, only the famous Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia was ideally suited to arms production and this was already churning out cannons first for the United States then, after Virginia’s secession, for the Confederacy. This forced the southern government to look elsewhere for small-arms, sending officers and agents to Europe to purchase weapons.

The capture of the United States Armoury and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, in modern day West Virginia, in April 1861 not only furnished the south with much needed machinery to make firearms, but also over 30,000 blank walnut gunstocks. Parts and equipment for rifle-muskets went to the Richmond Armory and the equipment for rifles went to Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The rifle-muskets produced at the Harpers Ferry armoury were predominantly the Springfield Model 1855, so it was natural the design of what would become the .58 cal Richmond Rifle was heavily based on this. Production began in October 1861 and the new rifle retained the general form of the Model 1855, but without the Maynard tape primer mechanism and patch box. In March 1862, the machine that milled the lock plate was modified to make placing a percussion cap on the nipple easier by lowering the characteristic tape primer hump. Around this time iron buttplates were also replaced with brass, all in an effort to save vital materials.

Early examples of Richmond Rifles were assembled from parts salvaged from the Harpers Ferry arsenal and typically do not have any Confederate markings. Later production weapons were first only stamped with Richmond, VA (Virginia) and ones after that are marked Richmond, VA (Virginia) with a “CS” above and dated 1862-1865. Confederate produced Richmond Rifles also differ in two other areas from the Model 1855 it was based on, having a slightly different rear sight and like the buttplate the nose-cap was changed from iron to brass.

In all, approximately 37,000 Richmond Rifles and carbines were made between October 1861 and January 1865 when production ceased due to a shortage of wood for gunstocks.

If you would like to get your hands on your very own Richmond Rifle, we have a fantastic selection of reproduction Euroarms Richmond Percussion Rifles in stock. A Firearms Licence is required to purchase.

Euroarms Richmond Percussion Rifle .58cal

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To order, call us on 0113 256 9163 or email us at [email protected]