This rifle features an octagon to round heavy barrel that measures 1-1/2" at muzzle. If one was to enter the Civil War Museum in Gettysburg, they would find a nearly identical rifle that was found lying next to a dead sniper at Devil's Den. Complete with a steel ramrod with slotted head with centric rings.Serial # NSV Barrel length 36". "NATCHEZ" is marked on the bottom of the stock in front of the trigger guard (origin unknown of stamp). The straight grip stock has checkering at the wrist and on the forend with a steel forend cap and flat buttplate. A third stud for an additional sling swivel is found at the front of the trigger guard. Sling swivels are mounted to the front barrel band and beneath the butt. The lock plate has a safety lever and is marked with a crown over "W" behind the hammer and "WHITWORTH" in front of the hammer. This rifle is marked "WHITWORTH PATENT" on top of the barrel near the breech, with the serial number and various British proofs on the left side. Shortly before General Sedgwick was killed he scolded some of his men for ducking gun fire, telling them that "they couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." The rifle features include: three Enfield pattern barrel bands, adjustable globe style front sight, folding ladder rear sight, and an additional peep sight mounted just behind the barrel tang. Union General Sedgwick fell victim to a head shot from a sniper using a Whitworth rifle on May 8, 1864. At shorter distances such as 500 yards the Whitworth was far more accurate with tight groupings under 4 1/2 inches compared to the Enfield's more than 25 inch groups. At 1800 yards, the rifle was recorded with groupings less than twelve feet which was acceptable when targeting groups of soldiers and officers. They were reportedly accurate up to 1800 yards or more. The Confederates used the rifles as sniper rifles with scopes and the Whitworth is widely considered to have been the first rifle used for true sniping.
Only about 250 of these rifles were made for the Confederate Army.
This percussion rifle is an example of a Whitworth rifle like those used by Confederate sharpshooters during the Civil War.
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