Whitworth Sniper Rifle

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 12/19/2017 | J Hines

[w1n1]

Anyone into long range shooting and a history buff or have had sniper training will remember the Confederate Whitworth rifle.
The Whitworth Rifle was a single-shot muzzle-loaded rifle used in the latter half of the 19th century. Possessing excellent long range accuracy for its time, the Whitworth, when used with a scope, was the world’s first sniper rifle, and saw use with Confederate sharpshooters in the American Civil War.
This rifle was invented by Sir Joseph Whitworth, a famed British engineer and inventor.
Whitworth had experimented with cannons using polygonal rifling instead of traditional rifled barrels, which was patented in 1854. The hexagonal polygonal rifling meant that the projectile did not have to bite into grooves as was done with conventional rifling.

Whitworth believed that the same type of system could be used to create a more accurate rifle to replace the Pattern 1853 Enfield.
Trials were held in 1857 to compare Whitworth’s design against the Enfield. The Whitworth rifle outperformed the Enfield at a rate of about three to one in the trials, which tested the accuracy and range of both weapons. Notably, the Whitworth rifle was able to hit the target at a range of 2,000 yards, where the Enfield was only able to hit the same target at a range of 1,400 yards.

Confederate Snipers
The Confederate government, purchased a limited number of Whitworth rifles during the Civil War. These weapons were given to the very best marksmen in the Confederate Army. This select group of men were referred to as Whitworth Sharpshooters, thus were born the first modern sniper units.
Most of the Whitworth rifles used by the Confederates were equipped with open sights. The front sight was... Read the rest of the Whitworth Confederate Sniper Rifle story here.

[rdl6989]

They couldn’t hit an elephant at that dist...

-General John Sedgwick’s final words at the battle of Spottsylvania.

[rdl6989]

They couldn’t hit an elephant at that dist...

-General John Sedgwick’s final words at the battle of Spottsylvania.

[ReformedBeckite]

....These weapons were given to the very best marksmen in the Confederate Army.....

Being a sniper during the Civil War was very highly prestige position, it also had the highest causality rate among all the different positions in an army. The one reason because of this is because most of the time when a sniper is shooting he was the only one shooting and it wan't hard to know where he was, it was pretty hard to hide as a sniper in the Civil War because after you take a shoot everybody knows where you were hiding from the smoke from the gun powder after the discharge. A lot of time to counter a sniper they would bring up the cannons and let loose with grape shot or what ever in the general direction of the sniper and the odds of him being killed was very high.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

An interesting tidbit is that while the general impression that Confederate soldiers were better shots in general than Union troops is true, when it came to dedicated sharpshooting the north had the edge in both organization and ability. Some union officers, the well-known Hiram Birden among them, actively sought and recruited professional long range shooters, and worked to have them armed and organized to best utilize their skills.

[SkyDancer]

The marksmanship in the Union Army was so terrible that after the war the NRA was formed to train civilians in marksmanship.

[wardaddy]

Sedegewick should have known more caution given his life of military experience

West Point grad

Veteran of many conflicts

Sedgwick was a good Yankee btw

The radicals who were safely in D.C. rather than out fighting my ancestors in the field loathed him

So he must have been top notch

[eartick]

An interesting tidbit is that while the general impression that Confederate soldiers were better shots in general than Union troops is true

And this marksmanship selection of "country boys" continued into later wars because the military knew the city boys did not grow up with a rifle and pistol in their rooms and learn at an early age how to use them proficiently.

So the basic skills of stalking and hunting your prey which every sniper needs is usually well taught to the country boy. Including the patience to sit in a hide for hours on end for that prey to make a mistake, is already there as well.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Oh the eyes of youth.

When I used to have to qualify, it was so easy, I could see the .38 bullets leave and track them all the way to the target like they were on a string. Hip shooting was a breeze.

[Conan the Librarian]

100%

“Uncle John” was well loved by his men and he did right by them. They fought for him because of that.

Lincoln didn’t need more Grants, he needed more like Sedgwick and Hancock.

[SES1066]

There are five documented Confederate States Army (CSA) Whitworth Rifles in the United States and the one that I am most familiar with is my G.Grandfather's (Charles T Ingram) on permanent exhibition at the 45th Infantry Division Museum in Oklahoma City, OK. C.T. Ingram joined the CSA on 12/31/1861 and was in the Western Theater until his capture and parole at Vicksburg in July 1863. He was issued the Whitworth after his parole expired and served with the CSA Army of the Tennessee under Gen. Patrick Cleburne until the war's end. This Rifle was in our family's possession ever since Pvt. Ingram eluded capture and went to Bonham, Texas after the US Civil War.

My Father, Col. Ed Speairs, a proud member of the 45th in WW2 and Korea, donated this family heirloom to the Museum around 1988. At that time he was informed that this weapon had the best provenance (history) of any of the known rifles in the USofA. When the Museum contacted the Whitworth historical society in Manchester England, they verified the serial number as one of the 'lost Confederate Whitworth Rifles.'

[ThinkingBuddha]

https://www.full30.com/video/4cdcff939c8e889e35489b555f9b604e

https://www.full30.com/video/df3fd6c3c80185553e1d2f86e9427d70

[Bull Snipe]

The marksmanship of the average infantryman on both side was terrible. After the first volley or two, powder smoke obscured the field of vision. Infantry in formation was taught to aim shoulder high and straight ahead. Neither Army took any time to teach marksmanship as we understand the concept today.

[Vinnie]

I’m guessing this is the Whitworth that invented unique sized nuts and bolts used in British machinery.
IIRC a relative had a Jaguar XK120 and had to buy Whitworth tools to work on it.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Good news. Thanks to your family for the courage to donate it.

[SES1066]

Thanks to your family for the courage to donate it.

Thank you but it really did not take courage. This is a piece of history and, while it would have been nice to hold it and even dry fire perhaps, it belongs to more than ourselves. With my Dad so closely attached to the 45th ID, and since they already had a large firearms collection, "The Jordan B. and Ruby V. Reaves Military Weapons", it helped make the Museum that much better.

Anybody who has any interest in US Military Memorabilia could do far worse than make a trip to Oklahoma City to see it (Free Admission). There is a large park surrounding the museum with many retired military vehicles and weapons. Add the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum just to its north and it becomes a good vacation destination. The later has the most fantastic display of fine art on the subject of the American West.

[Man from Oz]

Wonderful story! Your father did the right thing with the museum.

My great great grandfather was the first sheriff in Grand County, CO and supposedly was in the posse that ran down Tom Horn. His pistol is presently in my cousin’s care. Needless to say, I hope it ends up one of these days in the care of a museum... Sadly, I don’t think that is going to happen.

MFO