A Confederate Gun

The Fayetteville Rifle a Confederate made gun, ceased to be made March 11^th 1865, when Union General William Tecumseh Sherman destroyed the arsenal.

The Fayetteville Rifle was a .58 caliber, two banded rifled musket that was made at the Confederate States Arsenal in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  The rifle’s back sights were set for 500 yard and it had a place for a bayonet.  The machinery used to make these guns was captured in April 18^th 1861 at the United State Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia.  It had been used to make the US Model 1855 Rifle.  They were able to make about 300 rifles a month, with a maximum of 500 when needed.  The Fayetteville was produced from early in 1862 until the arsenal was captured and destroyed March 11^th 1865 by troops under Union General William T Sherman.