Whitworth rifle
E730681
The Whitworth rifle was a highly accurate, long-range British-made rifled cannon and small arms design used during the American Civil War, noted for its distinctive hexagonal bore and exceptional precision.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Blakely rifle | 1 |
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
muzzle-loading rifle
ⓘ
rifle ⓘ rifled musket ⓘ small arm ⓘ |
| advantageOverPattern1853Enfield | greater accuracy ⓘ |
| ammunitionType | hexagonal-section bullet ⓘ |
| boreShape | hexagonal ⓘ |
| caliber | approximately .451 inch ⓘ |
| category |
19th-century rifles
ⓘ
Civil War firearms ⓘ black-powder rifles ⓘ |
| comparedTo | Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle-musket NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | United Kingdom ⓘ |
| designer | Joseph Whitworth NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| designFeature |
fast twist rate rifling
ⓘ
tight mechanical fit between bullet and bore ⓘ |
| disadvantage |
greater fouling tendency
ⓘ
higher cost ⓘ |
| era | 19th century ⓘ |
| firingAction | percussion cap ignition ⓘ |
| hasSightingSystem |
optional telescopic sight (on some sniper versions)
ⓘ
tangent rear sight ⓘ |
| hasVariant | Whitworth rifled cannon NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| historicalReputation | one of the most accurate rifles of its era ⓘ |
| introducedInDecade | 1850s ⓘ |
| loadingMechanism | muzzle-loading ⓘ |
| manufacturer | Whitworth Company NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| material | steel barrel ⓘ |
| maximumEffectiveRange | greater than 1,000 yards ⓘ |
| namedAfter | Joseph Whitworth NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableFor |
exceptional precision
ⓘ
hexagonal bore ⓘ high accuracy ⓘ long-range capability ⓘ |
| originatedInCity | Manchester NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| primaryUse |
sharpshooting
ⓘ
sniping ⓘ |
| propellant | black powder ⓘ |
| riflingType | polygonal rifling ⓘ |
| usedBy |
British Army (limited trials)
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Confederate States Army NERFINISHED ⓘ Union Army NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| usedByUnitType |
Confederate sharpshooters
ⓘ
specialist marksmen ⓘ |
| usedFor |
long-range target shooting
ⓘ
military sniping in the American Civil War ⓘ |
| usedInConflict | American Civil War NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (3)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Blakely rifle