At the start of the American Civil War, the Confederacy suffered from a lack of resources with the capability to produce small arms weapons.

In April 1861, the Confederacy led by Thomas Jonathan Jackson captured the Union-held town of Harper's Ferry in western Virginia, and salvaged the machinery used to manufacture Springfield Model 1855 muskets.

Production began in October 1861 retaining the general form of the Model 1855, but without the Maynard tape primer mechanism and patch box.

The lock plate milling machine was modified in March 1862 to make manual capping easier by lowering the characteristic tape primer hump.

[1] Gunstock machinery was moved south in response to Union advances; and became operational in the former railway depot at Macon, Georgia in October 1862.