What happened to all those Civil War era military rifles?

[His lordship.]

I noticed over the years that it seems no one, from the end of the American Civil War, to modern day, use those .58 caliber rifled muskets, like the 1853 Enfield, or the 1861 Springfield for hunting.  With the large caliber, long site radius and reliability it would be a great elk or deer gun.

At the pioneer museum in Tillamook, Oregon, there is a nice collection of old military percussion muskets in good shape that came with the pioneers after the Civil War in wagon trains.  It seems that the previous owners donated them pretty quick to the county historical society when it was established.  And you gotta wonder what happened to all those surplus rifles after the Union went to the 1873 trapdoor, not counting the conversions.  Were most of them scrapped for their metal? 

Thanks.

[Semisane]

My memory is a little fuzzy on this, but I recall reading about a hotel that had gas or water pipes made of musket barrels welded end to end. 

Funny things happen to things people think are junk.  Back in the 60's I was walking through a garden next to the courthouse in Covington, LA and spotted a rusty set of barrels from a percussion double barrel shotgun that had been used to stake a rose bush.

[longcaribiner]

After the war the govt was really strapped financially.  Thos muskets that remained in gov't hands were recircul;ated through militias, military academies, etc.  My father has a cut down chopped up Potsdam Musket that an ancestor brought home from the war.  Civilians didnt want them because they could get cartridge guns and repeaters.  Many of them ended up at places like Bannerman's Castle as concrete reinforcement rods.  Captured firearms were sometimes destroyed.    Folks didn't want rifled muskets, they wanted shotguns for hunting.  Many of them were chopped up and abused as shotguns. 

Some re vamped into Snider or Berdan Breech loading conversions, etc.  A great many of them rusted away in attics and barns.  Abused by boys who played with them etc.

[Empty Quiver]

In St.Loius, Mo. you'll find the fence at Grants farm made from those barrels.

[mechanic]

At Appamattox, the rain was so intense and the roads so bad, the confiscated Confederate arms were laid down to keep vehicles from getting stuck.  They say many thousands....

[sachel.45]

i hunted with a 1853 enfield replica one deer season i think i was 14 when i hunted with it (i was a civil war reenactor and wanted to hunt with it) all i remember was that thing was heavy after a full day of hunting thought about getting one of the carbine version of it still might

[deadrabbit]

I had an old timer tell me that the guns shops/ flea markets were loaded with cheap Civil War guns and parts when he was young and nobody wanted them.  The 58 was more common before all the inlines became popular.

[tucoblue]

I have an original 1863 Springfield with the original bayonet and bayonet scabard. Killed a nice 9 pointer with it. Used a round ball at 50 yards.

[filmokentucky]

They make great hunting rifles once you work up an accurate load. Sometimes the skirt on the Minie needs to be thicker for heavier loads, but this only requires an easy modification to the mold's base plug. Weight isn't much of a problem if you use a correct  military sling.

[coyotejoe]

When Bannerman was still in business he listed Enfields in three grades at 15, 20 & 25 dollars, that was in the mid 1950's. Gunshow prices were similar. Trapdoor Springfield 45/70's were similar, the carbines bringing $25.00. Old catalogs from the 1880's show old muskets shortened and rebored to 16 gage shotguns for two and three dollars.

[bluecow]

got an old springfield that wa sporterized and had the rifling removed leaving about 28g smooth bore.  still hunt with it and its my go to m.l.

[simonkenton]

I have a replica Zouave in .58 made by Zoli in Italy.
I shoot patched round ball. I have killed 2 deer, and 2 wild hogs with this rifle. That flying lead brick really puts a whipping on Mr. Pig.
I let my buddy borrow the rifle, he killed two hogs with one shot!
He didn't see the second hog behind the first one in the swamp. The ball went right through both of them.
These hogs were about 100 pounds each.

[filmokentucky]

got an old springfield that wa sporterized and had the rifling removed leaving about 28g smooth bore.  still hunt with it and its my go to m.l.

The Springfields were .58 caliber or, to put it another way, they had a bore of .58" or 24 gauge. Boring them out would make the bore larger--usually they were taken out to a minimum of 20 gauge or .62". If you have a bored out Springfield with a 28 gauge bore or .55" someone has sleeved it back.  That must have been fairly rare since such a small bore is useful mostly for rabbits and squirrels whereas the twenty bore is much more versatile and would have cost much less to produce. Got any pictures?