Marc,

Let me try this again, so I can get it straight in my head. I'm finding conflicting or confusing information about "German rifles" from the American Civil War. A couple of years ago, I posted on this message board, asking for someone to look up in "Todd's American Military Equipage" the weaponry issue to the 22nd Indiana Infantry. I received a response from Mike Bailey with the following information:

Jim,

Accdg. to Todd's AME, the 22nd Indiana Infantry was initially issued state gray fatigue clothing; circa Oct. 1861: exchanged for state blue fatigue clothing. Initially issued "old musket." Oct. 1861: "German rifles." 1862: Austrian rifled muskets, cal. .54 or .55. 1863: Enfield rifle. 1864-1865: Springfield rifled muskets.

Mike

in a subsequent posting with some conjecture about what these references to "old musket" and "German rifles" meant the following was offered:

"Old Musket" could be any of the earlier flinters that were converted (and some not converted) to percussion. These would include (if limited to 19th century) M 1808, M 1812,
M 1816 and M 1835 musket.

German rifles were likely Dresden or Suhl...

As I've searched the names, Dresden, Suhl, "German rifles", I've come across reference to early .70 & .71 caliber muskets, "pumpkin slingers" that were early nineteenth century smoothbore conversions. I've also seen references to 1851 and 1858, .54 and .58 caliber rifles. One name that cropped up was the "Saxon" rifle.

So, I'm going back to the original reference from Todd. It does not say, German musket or smoothbore. It says "German rifle". The rifles were later produced weapons from the 1850's. Could this reference to a German rifle be the "Saxon" rifle a modern weapon at the time of the Civil War. If it was the Saxon rifle or a German Rifle from the 1850's then the technology of the gun was similar or superior to the Lorenz rifle. That's why I asked the question, if this was a German/Saxon rifle, why would they go to the trouble to replace it with a Lorenz? This also extends to the later replacement of their Enfields with Springfields. The Enfield was equal or superior to the Springfield, so how did the Federal authorities make the decisions to change a regiments armament for minimal or no improvement in quality or function?

I hope you or some of our other contributors can help me with this question.

Jim Martin