Loaded rifles recovered after Gettysburg

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Not really news, but some interesting discussion;

http://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/08/30/guns-gettysburg-found-loaded/

[wildman1]

That's not the only instance of that occurring. It is a rather common occurance among untrained or inexperienced soldiers and sometimes with the battle weary soldiers. Still a very interesting read and those numbers are high statistically speaking.
Thank You for posting that.
wM1

[treebeard]

I would think that the recovered rifles were from both sides of the conflict. There were a number of areas such as the Wheatfield
and Devils Den that Union troops fought in and could have lost their muskets.

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[Major 2]

From time to time I've mentioned Mr. Dent  Dent's Department Store in Hialeah, Florida.

I bring it up again , because he had the Finest private collection of Civil War weaponry, I ever saw in private hands.

Got visit with him several time and he'd , give us a tour of his vault like Garage gun room ...floor to ceiling and center 2 sided racks

He had many Springfield's every one of the Contract gun.... several more BF pickups most were still loaded
 

[griffith]

     I used to own a model 1842 musket that had been picked up from 2nd Manassas battlefield. It still had a 2 ring Confederate Gardner minie ball in it.

      The gun was found in 1866 during the dedication of the 5th New York Regiment monument and then hung in their armory until the 1950's or 60's. When the armory was closed, it was sold to a private owner. I became the next owner. Looking back, I'm sorry I sold it.

                         Griffith

[Coffinmaker]

There is an even more likely possibility.  For some, a fire fight is pure terror and panic.  It would not be beyond reason, a panic'd troop standing there, after firing his first round and reloading.  Then, in the chaos and panic of the fire fight, loading again, even if he hadn't fired another round.

I was involved in two incidents during fire fights.  In one, at the scene of an armed robbery, I and my partner cornered the thieves and a gun fight ensued.  After the gun fight was over, I heard clicking from my right.  My partner was standing there, still snapping on empty chambers.  Had never reloaded.  In the second, my partner had found cover.  After the fight was over, I found him standing in a small alcove, gun in hand, gun raised in front of him.  Never fired a round.  Totally panicked.  I never rode with either of those two again.  They also didn't last long in the police business.

Coffinmaker

[griffith]

     I read a long time ago that most of the loaded guns found at Gettysburg had been loaded with the bullet first and the powder on top of it. Some of them had two or three loads in them. In the confusion of battle the soldiers didn't realize that their weapon hadn't fired.

               Griffith