Usage
In the British Army, the Pattern 1861 Type III was issued to artillery units, who required a weapon for personal defence and which could be more easily wielded from horseback. They were also imported by Caleb Huse, arms procurement for the Confederacy during the American Civil War and issued to artillery and cavalry units. However, the longer Pattern 1853 was more suitable for infantry units which fought in line formation of several ranks deep, in order to minimize the risk that the men in the rear ranks would accidentally shoot the men in the front ranks in the back of the head, or scorch their faces and burst their eardrums with the muzzle blast. The total procurement of carbines and artillery musketoons by the Confederacy reached approximately 4,500 units. According to U.S. Ordnance records, the total number of units imported by the Union for service remains unconfirmed, with estimates ranging from 480 to 730.
The Minié bullet is Enfield-Pritchett, a smooth-sided, hollow-based projectile originally designed for the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle-musket, which was frequently shortened into carbines known as musketoons (such as the Parker Hale or 1861 Enfield). Unlike the greased-groove Minié ball used by the US, the Pritchett was paper-patched to fit tightly in the barrel, relying on the force of the explosion to expand its skirt into the rifling for accuracy.
Argentine cavalry used the M1842/51 Enfield musketoon during the campaign.
The Meiji government maintained precise registration of firearms, recording imported Pattern 1861 Enfields for inventory and deployment need for cavalry.
Canadian militia forces were equipped with the musketoon variant of the "Short Enfield," while the Fenian raiders utilized Enfield musketoons sourced from American Civil War surplus inventories as well. Its short barrel gave it excellent maneuverability for mounted or tight-quarters use, making it ideal for the naval and artillery units that met O'Neill's force at Fort Erie.
It was much liked for its ease of handling, and being designed for use with Minié ball bullets they could have a lethal range of up to 500 yards. Yataghan saber bayonet can be compa rable with 1856/58/60/61 pattern short musket.
This weapon is often referred to as a musketoon but due to it having a rifled barrel is more accurately known as a carbine. Note that Enfield Pattern 58 'short rifle' is almost a foot [30cms] longer. This mistake is prevalent in the popular literature probably due to the misnomer being applied to a Parker Hale reproduction.
