No mention of General John Sedgwick, the Whithworth's most famous victim. He told his companions that they were all safe; the distance from the CS line was too great, nothing could shoot that far with accuracy. Those were his last words, as a Whitworth and a skilled marksman showed that he was wrong.

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this range." U.S. General Sedgwick famous last words.

most people today do not even know who whitworth was...he had his own measure system not metric and not standard back in the old days if you wanted to work on a bsa..triumph,,enfield,,motorcycle you had to have a set of whitworth tools to fit every nut and bolt on them british bikes.... thanks for the video he was a great inventor and engineer

The Confederates were extremely lethal with these rifles, there are lots of stories about it including an officer claiming they couldn't hit his men at this distance, seconds later he was hit in the head and dropped dead. Thanks for the video.

Forgotten Weapons did a pair of videos on this rifle recently, it shoots ~3 MOA which is phenomenal for an over 150 year old muzzle loading rifle.

Whitworth was a brilliant engineer. His most famous contribution was standardising the pitch and diameter of screw threads for maximum strength and interchangeability. Later they were adopted as UNC.

The Whitworth was ahead of it's time, but like others similarly "out of time" they suffered one critical shortcoming. The thing just cost too damn much. Same as the Ferguson Rifle and Girandoni. Too much buck for the bang.

How long is the barrel on that thing? In Vietnam I killed an officer over 1000 yards away with my 45 ACP 1911 service pistol. I dropped it out of the helicopter door, and it hit the Captain, on the ground.

Sir, you just gave me more information about that rifle in 5 minutes than I have found after studying the American Civil War for 20+ years (amateur Civil War buff). The detail with which you speak about the history and functionality of all of these weapons is amazing. I'd say you deserve your own TV show, but that would be to ignore the fact that this internet fad and your current media outlet is much more effective. Thanks!

The funny thing about these old rifles is that they have "effective ranges" out to where you literally cannot see the target through the iron sights. I mean, maybe in clear weather, with the target wearing something shiny you could get lucky at a mile away. But its not the problem of the rifle bore or round, its just seeing the person you're shooting without magnification. They'd just be a little dot.

I cant imagine hitting a target a mile away without a scope. You could barely see the target.

Nice job. Again, the perfect mix of history and shooting. I did a very similar clip with a PH Volunteer Rifle... Some of the same pictures too! They are, of course, of the same generation. Well done.

Thank you for this. I am a Whitworth from Melbourne Australia. A great man that did many things.

Great info. I had the experience of firing a Whitworth about 45 years ago. The most memorable part was the recoil. Firing in a standing position, it lifted my leading foot off the ground.

Superb work Balázs. Perfect mix of the historical facts and practical experiences

The engineering prowess behind this rifle is astounding. Great, informative video, love it!

That is an amazing weapon for the era. I never suspected it to be that accurate

As always, superb work! The Atlanta History Center here in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) possesses 2 original Whitworth rifles from the War Between the States, what we Southerner refer to as the Civil War. As there was little actually "civil" about it! They are not typically displayed, but are alelgedly in fine condition.

Met a fellow at the range one morning, John Person from Hunterdon Co. N.J. He had a Parker Hale Whitworth .451 sniper rifle which he was extracting from its beautiful velvet-lined fitted and formed case as I approached him. A lengthy conversation ensued and he offered me the first shot of the morning. I punched out the x of the 50 yard paper bulls-eye. Offhand. That experience was a very bright moment. I never saw John again and have not come across another PHW. All you may imagine is what it was. Semper Fi.

Those sights have always amazed me..the intricacy and mechanical engineering in them are way beyond the times ... fantastic rifle

Whitworth definitely belongs in the Firearms Hall of Fame, if that exists. What an amazing feat of engineering. Even Browning who came up with so many great firearms and bullet caliburs would have to acknowledge how amazing this feat was, especially for it's age of production. Maybe this was the best black powder rifle ever made before muzzle loading blackpowder rifles would become obsolete except within certain hunting and firearms enthusiasts. I've gone hunting with a muzzle loader for deer and I would have loved to have one of these, but I agree that they aren't the most pretty (at least this version). Apparently some of the originals were very elegantly made for the wealthiest of wealthy patrons. Thanks for sharing this - It was suggested in the sidebar on Forgotten Weapons as Ian had an original on the channel today up for auction. He or Karl recommended your channel a year ago or so and I've been subbed ever since.

I am so jealous of you getting to shoot that rifle my friend!

Excellent video, thank you for taking the time to lay the foundation on the rifle for clarification and understanding. Your attention to detail is Exhilarating. Please continue to keep insightful knowledge and understanding of history.

and i was so happy about my erma gallagher from '75. now i want this beauty here. imagine the hours of fun in your workshop to create your own bullet mold. holy moly.

As a mining electrician in the 60/70s I used 'Whitworth' spanners but also had some AF spanners - not because we ever came across AF (American Flat - for Brits who don't know), threads in mining but so that, when, occasionally, I found some hexagon-headed bolt that my Whitworths didn't fit, an AF just might. This happened because during World War 2, to conserve steel - bolt heads had metal shaved off them. These we called 'bastard' sizes, and were still found on some older gear. Otherwise it was inserting a flat-bladed screwdriver blade in the gap - not ideal or most times very effective. The American civil war misnamed, I believe, as it was a war of secession, I've always found to be particularly heart-breaking but the story of Jack Hinson's murdered sons, especially so.

Love me some Civil War guns. There were some pretty interesting ones, as well as some really ahead-of-their-time stuff like the Whitworth. Personal favorite Civil War era gun, for me, is still the LeMat revolver. Just an interesting concept. But the Whitworth is a beautiful gun. And as someone said in other comments, the big downside was the cost. At the time, anyway

Good job as usual! I really like your including history, shooting, and family. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

Parker Hale produces an outstanding reproduction but they have three serious design flaws in the manufacture of the breach. The recomended load for these rifles is a 560 projectile and a 90 grain powder charge. My P-H Whitworth had a catastrophic breach failure, this was not the result of abuse, but a common design flaw I see in many P-H Whitworths, including the one fired here in the video. The problem can be easily seen in slow motion video of the breach when the rifle is fired. The first issue is the nipple threading. The thread they use is a course thread, which is a poor choice for rifles designed for such heavy charges. All P-H Whitworth rifles fail to form a sufficient seal by simply tightening the nipple or using material applied to the threads. I found making a copper O-ring gasket was the only way to stop the gas blowby. The blowby is occurring on the rifle in this video as well. Evidence can be seen by the dark, almost wet looking, dark ring at the contact point where the nipple seat contacts the breach. When watching it fired in slow motion, and excessive amount of smoke can be seen coming from the nipple region, and the shooter generally has an uncomfortable feeling when the unexplainable hot gas strikes his face. Most the time you will actually see the shooter look directly at the breach the moment the rifles is fired, because of the hot puff of air. A thin copper gasket was the only solution I found in stopping this leakage. Secondly, the small access screw is not typically seen on rifles that fire such a heavy load. Some original Whitworths had it, but most were manufactured without it or had it removed because of pressure issues. But the dangerous flaw in these rifles is how P-H soldered the breech components. The breech plug is round and made from several pieces. there is an inner and an external part. These parts are not threaded and appear they should be silver soldered in the original whitworth design. But after mine blew up, I was shocked to learn mine was soldered with bronze. Repeated firing on a bronze solder will slowly etch out the bronze, forming an air cavity. Air cavities and black powder can create a rebound pressure effect that can exceed 100,000 PSI, and once the cavity is formed, the repeated firing will cause the cavity to enlarge and eventually blow the poor breech solder apart. I saw early signs of the breech failure but I failed to diagnose the problem correctly. The sign my rifle was giving prior to the failure was a small thin dark, wet-like line which appeared when where the barrel met the breech. I didn't realize that this was the result of gas escaping the bronze solder. Behind this small line, I also detected a extremely small, hardly detectable bulge in the bottom of the breech. This was only noticeable when the barrel was removed from the stock. My only advice to anyone who may be seeing these symptoms is to have the breech disassembled, and the bronze solder repaired and properly welded with stronger Silver Solder.

You sir have an excellent channel. Have not seen a bad video yet, nor do I expect I will.

Well.. Joseph Whitworth also standardized the engineering measurements. Also linked to the Blockade runners in the American Civil war.. The Alabama traded his guns for Cotton. to supply the Lancashire Cotton Mills in work 23,000 people died in the Rossindale area of Lancashire due to the blockade Hench the Alabama,supported by the Cotton traders in Liverpool All down to my ancestor .

it's so much more gratifying to see the antique weapons being discussed actually at work than just looked at.

An informative video, calmly and competently presented. Excellent work!

Engineer: "Wait, the Queen will be firing the first shot?? Someone, quick, I need a stand built to make her hit a bullseye in one shot!!!"

As always, an excellent video, you really enjoy all this don't you, it certainly beats working! The Whitworth bullet moulds are still made to order in UK.

Amazing history and fantastic shooting. I just ordered my very first 1861 Special today. I'm looking forward to it.

I wasn’t expecting such a great video. Great job on this. Informative and educational.

This is really amazing. I've been wondering for a long time if one could make a well functioning rifle with polygonal bullets. Great video!

What an awesome weapon! Totally amazing beyond belief. Had to be the finest rifle for years. I would love to shoot this.

My Great Great Great Grandfather Jesse Stanfield went to battle in the Civil War with a .451 whitworth. In his journal , when his dad sent him to war, he was given it as his father wanted his son to be equipped with the best rifle in the world at that time. Till his dying day he kept that rifle and at his funeral , they buried him with it. Great video!

An hexagonal bullet! Who'd 'ave known! Thanks, what an amazing piece of firearms history I didn't know.

Nice rifle, interesting history, and damn expensive when it was first conceived and in production. Comparing the rifle to the revolver which was $17, versus the rifle which would fetch $1000 ... no wonder so few were around. Probably fairly impossible to find one these days, along with the specialty bullets, makes shooting this shooting a real piece of history. Thanks for showing this to us!

THAT is a sniper rifle. Very good video, will be watching more

I finally found your show. You are a great historian and an excellent shoot.

Great video, it was the first I've seen from you and I am very impressed. Thank you.

Sir Joseph Whitworth was my ancestor. There are still to this day a few excellent marksmen in the family. Sadly though no examples of the rifle. :(

I feel like this guy is trying to seduce me lol

Loved the video! I enjoyed knowing the information behind it ! Interested in seeing more videos... especially about sniping and the American civil war.

Historical background shots of a beautiful old rifle, target shooting. It's got it all. What a great video. I'm furious at KZfaq that they now penalise people like Cap and Ball, making great historical videos. This has nothing to do with gun violence, it's just a great video.

Ive read about this rifle before and never thought Id see one fired. Great job brother and keep it up man I love your videos. I bet youd have fun here in the US especially Texas, youd have a field day with all of our firearms!

I enjoy history and black powder weapons. You produce excellent videos on both counts.

Great video! Love the historical background you provide.

Excellent presentation. Thank you!

that was an awesome vid!

There is a movie ...[somewhere]...that centers around a 'sniper' shot at very long distance. Its a civil war setting. Just one chance to 'kill the general'...as the shot would give away the presence of troops with the sniper. Also, a movie of a youth with a long range rifle, with scope, working vengence from unseen distances.

I love how cool those sights look.

Very cool. As you said, proper sizing of that hexagonal bullet must have been a real pain. Thanks for sharing this.

Sharps Rifle Vs. Whitworth : Discuss

Years ago I was in Knoxville driving somewhere when I saw a historical marker about some Union General killed by a sniper from a distant tower. The tower still stands, and using the car's odometer I drove the distance between the two points..... just under one mile. The clerks and mechanics from the large northern cities never could grasp the danger they were in at great distances from natural-born riflemen who'd been shooting since weaned.

Very interesting vids and shooting of weapons from the past-my godfather was a collector of old weapons-from flintlocks to ww2 -my favorite was a 68cal halfstocks and the 7.92mm Mauser made in 1939

Grear Video! Sorry to hear it is not available anymore. Thanks! You are the best!

One has to wonder if a step back in time mite not lead to a super performance sniper rifle. Modern rifling scars the projectile and might effect it's performance. A higher spin rate may help. With modern CNC machining and advanced metallurgy we may be able to produce a 50.cal Whitworth type gun. Just a thought.

I fell off the chair when i heard my mother language during the video..... :)

This is the second video of yours I have watched today. Again, excellent, educational, and entertaining. Thanks again!

Very thorough and interesting but not dragged out! Thanks for the great video! :D

100 meters, vs 500 is a massive change.

I can just picture that exchange ;-P Wife: "It cost HOW MUCH??" Hubby: Honey, I don't drink, hit you, & am loving to our kids & your mother. Leave my Whitworth alone."

Nice. I know a little bit about these from a few gunzine articles over the years. I had forgotten all about the hexagonal bullet design. Didn't know they were so expensive back then- that explains a lot. Thanks for the presentation.

Thanks for the video as always great story telling along with execution of action shots

I've been wanting to invite you to the annual Mathew Quigley Long Range Buffalo Rifle Match, held in Forsyth, Montana, USA every father's day weekend. I think you would absolutely love it. If you are interested, I'm willing to provide you with all the information. Rick Herzog

Union Major General John F. Reynolds was felled on the first day's fight at gettysburg by a confederate sharpshooter. And let's not forget about another union corp commander at spotsylvania courthouse, Major General John Sedgwick in 1864 who chided his men when the rebel sharpshooters were making it rather hot for the yankees. No sooner than he had said his famous quip of "they couldn't hit an elephant at that distance" to a cowering soldier, he fell dead by a round from one of those rifles aimed in his direction.

The original Witworth rifles, and the mechanism used by Queen Victoria are in the NRA musuem Bisley. Whitworth built the rifles originally to study ballistics. Four started wit seven foot long barrels and wer etrimmed till optmum performance was achived. In the process developing the mathmatics of small bore ballistics.

real neat video, good balance of history and shooting as well as just interesting to learn about a gun that i've never seen or heard of

Adjusted for inflation... this rifle would be a about $30,422... and some change. Its no wonder only the best sharpshooters got them...

Your pulling your face off the rifle too quickly. Hold your face , right there, until the echoes die away....follow through is critical to fine shooting. Other than that. . Slow down...ease into it...Groups will shrink even tighter!! Love you vids!!..Your a smart guy, and a credit to gun collectors everywhere!

I'm here after watching the Forgotten Weapons video about this rifle, I was seriously intrigued. Great to see it in action. Fantastic video, Cheers from Canada!

Awesome! Thank you for showing us that!

Can't you folks at least put metric conversions in the corner or something so the rest of the civilized world can understand? Thanks.

Bravo,excellent--thanks for the effort and excellent history.

It is amazing how good and surprisingly cool and old gun like this is, even though most old guns are cool, this gun has quite neat sights that seem to work rather well for the time period, making this a very cool old weapon, great video

My 3rd great grandfather was issued one of these rifles. he was garrisoned on the islands outside of Charleston. His name was Franklin Sharp and he was a German/Native American mixedblood from Orangeburg County, SC. He died of yellow fever in the later part of the war.

I did not know about this beauty. Incredible precision instrument from the mid-1800's. Very impressive, and very effective. Thanks for the vid!

Excellent video. Very informative.

Thanks for the education! I love this stuff.

Great video,once again...... Love this channel!

Wow nice presentation . .. I was very surprised. No yelling yanky... no crappy music ..

Thank you for showing us. That was cool

Excellent video, I could see my fire father struggled and invented longer distance shooting points. God bless them and their families.

Awesome video I like how its formatted like a documentary

Another fantastic video, and what a beautiful rifle

Howdy from Texas... Thank you very much for publishing this excellent video on a very important historical rifle. By the way, darn good shooting there Amigo.

Excellent video. Learned a lot.

For the technology at the time the setup and design of this rifle was totally amazing

awesome, after more than 40 years of experience with balistics I hear of that riffle for a first time

I have read about this rifle , never seen it fired . Thank you for the vid !

Impressive i never thougt a Blackpowder Gun could be this accurate, clearly ahead of its Time

Remarkable rifle and excellent presentation of it, thank you.

There were Confederate regiments of hand-picked Sharpshooters too. The Palmetto Sharpshooters out of South Carolina was one of these regiments. However, the South had so few men to begin with that they put their sharpshooters in with regular infantry regiments.

What is so exceptional is Whitworth produced an accurate, transportable firearm of reasonable weight. When the Civil War broke out, many targetshooters of the era brought their personal,target rifles with them to war. These were octagonal, under lock weapons with false muzzles, weighing up to 50 lbs. The Smithsonian has a collection of them.

I live in a house built for workers on his Stancliffe Estate, and he and his wife are buried in the churchyard of our village. There is a local centre and trust which bears his name and and a famous art gallery and museum in Manchester but even they dont posess a Whitworth Volunteer Rifle!

Most excellent video as is the case with all of your productions :) Very informative, thank you! :)