Dickson Nelson & Co Rifle

Percussion Smoothbore Rifle Musket

Confederate States | 1862

"The Dickson Nelson & Co Rifle was based on the flintlock Model 1814 long gun, modified to a percussion-based action during the American Civil War."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/21/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Confederate arms suppliers of the American Civil War utilized whatever means to supply their army which lacked the facilities that favored the Union in the north. This included the adoption of the Model 1841 "Mississippi Rifle" by the Dickson Nelson & Company. An in-house lockplate and percussion nipple were added and these guns were completed with all-brass furniture. Chambered for the large .58 bullet, these guns fired through a 33.5-inch long smoothbore barrel loaded from the muzzle. The body was of a single wooden (dark cherry) piece with a single barrel band featured. A ramrod was housed under the barrel in the usual way though, interestingly, bayonet mountings were not included. The pistol grip was integrated into the rifle form and set aft of the underslung trigger group. A sling located there and under the forend allowed a strap to be fitted for transport. The stock incorporated a patchbox with hinged brass cover plate on some production models though these embellishments were later left off when wartime pressures dictated production needs for the South. Iron sights were located at the action (via a raised tang) and over the muzzle in the usual way.

Dickson Nelson & Company Rifles were produced out of the Dickson Nelson & Company facility at Adairsville, then Macon and, finally, Dawson, Georgia. The company was founded by William Dickson and Owen O. Nelson in 1862 with production of their converted rifle spanning into 1865. The 2nd Mississippi Infantry became a prominent user of the Dickson Rifle during the American Civil War.

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Physical
The physical qualities of the Dickson Nelson & Co Rifle. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,050 mm
41.34 in
O/A Length

838 mm
32.99 in
Barrel Length

Percussion; Single-Shot; Muzzle-Loading
Action

.58
Caliber(s)

Single-Shot
Feed

Rear Raised Tang; Front Iron.
Sights

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Dickson Nelson & Co Rifle. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Dickson Nelson & Co Rifle Percussion Smoothbore Rifle Musket family line.

Dickson Nelson & Co Rifle - Base Series Designation

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Dickson Nelson & Co Rifle. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Dickson Nelson & Company - CSA

[ Confederate States of America ]

1 / 1

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to requirements.

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Going Further...
The Dickson Nelson & Co Rifle Percussion Smoothbore Rifle Musket appears in the following collections:

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR ARMS

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