Design an infantry rifle for the Civil War

[Bartholomew Roberts]

OK, you are suited up in the Terminator's time machine. You get to go back to 1861. All you have with you is the modern knowledge of engineering and tactics... so create a new infantry rifle that will dominate the conflict and resolve the war; but can be built and supplied (ammo) using the existing manufacturing base.

What does your rifle look like and how will infantry tactics of the time have to change to accomodate it?

 

[RNB65]

Can I take J.M. Browning with me in the time machine? If so, I think we (errrr..., make that HE) could come up with something pretty quick.

 

[General Geoff]

Time paradoxes aside, I'd pretty much copy the 1891 Mosin Nagant's design, and spend the rest of my time trying to facilitate logistics and infrastructure to mass produce 7.62x54R cartridges. The ability existed, just hadn't been brought up to speed for modern cartridge design yet.

 

[Kaylee]

If I recall correctly, the arms of the time were already well ahead of the tactics employed.

Could I take Marconi back instead?

-K

 

[TexasRifleman]

Kaylee is right.

I want to take back a knowledge of Antibiotics and Anesthesia.

Penicillin would have been easy to make then.

 

[GEM]

Turtledove time - you mean I can't bring back an AK like in Guns of the South.

Anyway:

1. Lever action as the technology exists
2. Magazine fed as compared to the underslung tube so that one get get beyond pistol type rounds or dull 30-30 points.
3. The forumula and methods for smokeless powder.

I think this could be put into production quickly.

Also, use the time machine to take the Army staff that blocked modern weaponery back to the time of the dinosaurs - give them a musket or two for dino hunting fun.

Train the soldiers to use more modern infantry tactics and avoid the frontal bayonet fixed charge of the line that killed so many in the Civil War and in later conflicts like the Austrian-Prussian War about the same time period.

Also, get the Gatlings or an early Maxim in production but the latter wasn't in the scenario. The Gatlings could be used. Given smokeless powder, they could be reduced in size to the 30 cal range and be more portable.

 

[Zundfolge]

A whole new rifle design would be difficult.

Simply take back the means to make some sort of Cartridge conversion for the Springfield muskets they were using already (IIRC the Army made this switch right after the war...isn't a trap door Springfield basically one of the older Springfield muzzle loaders converted to breech loading metalic cartridges?)


I imagine being able to load their muskets from the breech with cartridges would significantly improve the performance of their infantry.


Oh, and bring back smokeless powder technology.


Simple single shot smokeless powder rifles would be a huge leap from their muzzle loaders.

 

[Essex County]

The answer is simple.....

Any version of a Mauser repeater. It wouldn't have to withstand 40,000 PSI

 

[rbernie]

Take back Nancy Pelosi - she'll have them all disarmed in no time.

Taking back knowledge of smokeless powder and/or metallic cartridges doesn't help if the supply base can't make it or distribute it fast enough. Gearing up the industrial base for metallic cartridges may be do-able, but switching propellants is probably not going to work. I'd focus on crafting a breechloading repeater, loaded with black powder chamberings using spitzer bullets, and equipped with a receiver-mounted aperture rear sight. A bolt action is probably less challenging for the industrial base than a levergun, simply because it's mechanically simpler.

 

[JesseL]

I think that I would design a rifle with the following features:

• Pump action. A little better than a lever for firing prone or from a trench, and more suitable for being adapted to an automatic mechanism.
• Tilting breech block. Similar to the mechanism of a FAL, Winchester model 12, or Savage 99. Hopefully a little easier to manufacture than a rotating bolt.
• 10 round box magazine
• Cartridge similar to .303 or 7.62x54. Rifling suitable for black powder but okay for smokeless too.
• Stripper clips for reloading.

 

[stevetexas]

I will just increase production of Henry and Spencer rifles.

All personnel, including officers, will be issued a repeating rifle and an 1860 Army revolver. S&W model 1 (.22 rimfire) revolvers are encouraged as last ditch backup weapons but are a private purchase item.

Sabers and bayonets will not be issued. They will be replaced with extra ammo pouches.

Each Company will have a squad of designated Sharpshooters who are also issued a long range single shot rifle.

http://www.henryrepeating.com/history.cfm

http://www.awod.com/gallery/probono/cwchas/spencer.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Army_Model_1860

http://www.aaawt.com/html/firearms/f110.html

Colonel Steve

 

[alucard0822]

steam piston powered gatling guns
put tracks on a small locomotive with armor plating, mount a few cannons broadside, a couple 2 1/2" mountain guns and a few of those "alucard guns" in turrets.
Or maybe that giant spider thing with flamethrowers from wild wild west
Would be kind of neat for my great great grandkids to see me on "wild west tech"

 

[johnmcl]

Long and Short

Bartholomew,

What an interesting question...

I'd go back with the knowledge to make a simple stripper clip fed rifle, an 1864 approximation of the 1903 Springfield. There is nothing in that rifle that was beyond the manufacturing capability of the day.

The implicit requirement is to master the manufacturing and distribution of metallic cartridges, of course.

The benefit is to be able to engage the enemy at hundreds of yards further than they can engage back. This benefit allows infantry to dump the Napoleonic tactics of the time, namely rank and file marching across open fields, for that of small unit tactics. Small unit tactics are based on the time proven principle of fire and maneuver.

With increased mobility and firepower, I assert that a so-enhanced Civil War infantry unit could take on a numerically superior force and succeed on small scale tactical objectives. A series of tactical objectives constitutes a stratergy of course. And strategeries win wars...

 

[lee n. field]

Some variant of the Lee Enfield rifle.

.303 British was originally a black powder cartridge, and the first magazine rifles that worked like the Lee Enfield came along not that long (with historically mypoic vision) after the Civil War.

 

[.45Guy]

I'd just modify Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse's fine little rifle from pinfire to rimfire. Spun copper cases were available at the time, and load them with guncotton.

 

[MD_Willington]

De-evolvolution would be key...

How about backing the volley shooters with thousands of English long bows...

Archers could fire relentlessly why the powder, patch & ball guys farted around...

 

[ozwyn]

Well... just about any cartridge rifle worth a damn would do.

But the bigger advantages might be in terms of better food supplies, medical supplies, uniforms, helmets (of any grade) boots and general logistical aid.

Add to it some well-written notes on using more modern tactics given how the weapons had advanced past the practicality of the napoleonic era, and you have a formula for the win.

I think lever action rifles or Lee enfield bolt actions would both be effective, and not necessarily a complete timeline disaster.

I would also consider breechloading metallic cartidge cannon as well for artillery. Fast firing longer range cannon might be a bigger advantage given the tactics in use.

 

[Geronimo45]

RNB65's got it right - bring back John Browning. I reckon he'd be able to make something mighty fine with existing technology.

Widespread production of metallic cartridges is the only problem I could see. Might be difficult to manage. If you could manage to use percussion caps of the time in place of primers, might be an easier thing to do.

Some version of the SMLE would be perfect, too. Ten rounds of full powered cartridges, and a wicked, long bayonet for up close and personal work.

 

[stevetexas]

Gentlemen,

Metallic cartridges have been available since before the Civil War.

This pic shows some .44 caliber rimfire cartridges for the Henry lever action rifle I mentioned above. These were sold beginning in 1860.

http://www.oldammo.com/44hptd.jpg

 

[plexreticle]

I would develop a syringe that shoots penicillin.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

How about backing the volley shooters with thousands of English long bows...

Same problem that led to the demise of archers to begin with, too much training required to pull and use an English longbow efficiently.

 

[ozwyn]

Good longbow volley fire is at most 200 yards IIRC. Not exactly a good choice given the accuracy of rifle and cannon fire.

then again, I might change my answer and say a good airbursting cannon load to go with the fast firing, metal cartidge artillery piece. Slaughtering the enemy outside of rifle/counterbattery range would be less "tactical" than an upgraded rifle but much more effective.

 

[sansone]

didn't southerners refer to the henry lever action as: "that damn yankee rifle"?

 

[Fosbery]

AK47

If peasants in Pakistan can make them out of cooking pots, I'm fair sure the industrialised United (or not so united at this point) States of America could make them too.

 

[sansone]

I like the way they harden the steel by simply packing coal around it while heating.. does this really work?