A Hungarian fellow who styles himself capandball on the Internet has a really thick accent but if you listen closely you can get the gist of his description of the 1861 Springfield percussion rifle-musket he’s firing here.

The South imported thousands of the British Enfield Pattern 1853 and most Confederates, if not, indeed, most Yankees who obtained orphaned ones off the battlefield, preferred the Enfield to the Springfield. But both were employed by both sides.

Indeed, after the Rebels captured the Federal Armory at Harper’s Ferry in 1862 (with the assistance of the 13th Regiment’s emplaced Parrott cannon on Maryland Heights above), thousands of copies of the Springfield were made. They were dubbed the Richmond Rifle. So it’s probable that the 13th Regiment’s soldiers carried one or the other.

Pity capandball is not shooting at night so you could watch the impressive 3-feet of flame the black powder produces out the rifled-musket’s business end.

Via TOCWOC