Whitworth Rifle 12-Pounder

Towed Rifled Breech-Loaded Field Gun [ 1860 ]

The Whitworth Rifle used some rather modern elements in its design, including a breech-loading action as well as rifling, that made it well-liked and accurate during the American Civil War.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/16/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the Public Domain. Captured Confederate Whitworth Rifle being guarded.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

The Whitworth Rifle, named after its creator Joseph Whitworth (1803-1887) of England, was a rifled field gun seeing service during the American Civil War (1861-1865). The type did not enjoy the numbers nor exposure of its competing brethren but was notable in that it was an artillery piece loaded from the breech (rear) of the gun tube at a time when artillery was still generally loaded from the muzzle (as in the Napoleon 12-pounders popular with both the Federals and Confederates). Whitworth Rifle production took place overseas in Britain which made its availability in the States rather restricted.

The Whitworth Rifle was regarded as an excellent field piece of particular accuracy at range - especially for counter-battery fire where the weapon could hit massed, stationary targets out to 1,600 yards (4,800 feet) with some regularity (some sources state accuracy out to 10,000 yards!). The base design was given a 2.75 inch (12-pounder) gun tube with a hexagonal bore and this sat atop traditional mounting hardware involving a tow arm and a pair of multi-spoked road wheels. Like other artillery pieces of the period, the Whitworth Rifle was towed into and out of action by beasts-of-burden though its wheels could allow a gunnery crew to relocate / retrain the gun over short distances. Another version was made in 2.17" (6-pounder) caliber.

The Rifle fired a nearly-13-pound, flat-sided projectile which was spirally-grooved so as to better adhere to the gun tube's rifling (making the projectile quite accurate over range as a result). The spiraling concept was patented before the Civil War in 1855. Whitworth attempted to interest the British Army in his field piece but was rebuffed so some of his guns ended up in the United States in Confederate hands (some were captured by Union forces).©MilitaryFactory.com

One of the major drawbacks in the Whitworth Rifle's design was the breech system's fragility over the course of extended combat exposure. This led crews to eventually permanently seal the breech action and load/reload their guns from the muzzle in the typical fashion - negating the weapon's one true distinct quality.

Whitworth also designed an infantry service rifle known plainly as the "Whitworth Rifle" to succeed the Enfield Pattern 1853 guns of .577 caliber. This rifle, like the Whitworth Rifle field gun, also made use of a hexagonal bore (0.451 caliber) firing an elongated hexagonal bullet. Again, the British Army passed on this local design but the long gun was adopted by both the French Army and the Confederate States of America.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Joseph Whitworth - UK
Manufacturer(s)

Confederate States
Operators

National flag of the Confederate States of America

1860
Service Year

United Kingdom
National Origin

6
Crew

500
Units

FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.

None. This is a towed artillery piece.
Drive System

1 x 2.75" (70mm) gun tube (also 2.17" gun tube featured).

AMMUNITION
Dependent upon ammunition carriers.

Whitworth Rifle - Base Series Designation.

Whitworth 12-Pounder - Field model with 2.75" barrel.

Whitworth 6-Pounder - Lighter weight field model with 2.17" barrel.

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles

Images

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain. Captured Confederate Whitworth Rifle being guarded.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)