Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 838 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.31 kg
- Introduced
- 1863
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket is a modern reproduction of the U.S. Model 1863 Remington 'Zouave' percussion rifle-musket, a .58 caliber muzzleloader firing the Minié ball. It features a 33-inch rifled barrel, a one-piece walnut fullstock, a color case-hardened percussion lock, brass furniture and barrel bands, a flip-up leaf rear sight, and a patch box. The reproduction faithfully recreates one of the most ornate Civil War-era longarms and is popular for reenactment, N-SSA skirmish competition, and blackpowder hunting.
Often called 'the rifle without a soldier,' the original Model 1863 Zouave was delivered to Union arsenals but apparently never issued in combat; surviving rifles were sold as surplus to Francis Bannerman & Company in 1907 for about 54 cents each, which is partly why so many pristine examples and reproductions survive today.
The original Remington Model 1863 was nicknamed the 'Zouave' by later collectors for its brass fittings and colorful associations; despite roughly 10,000-12,500 being contracted, the rifles were delivered to arsenals but reportedly never issued to troops during the American Civil War.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Dixie Gun Works, Inc.
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1863
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 838 mm
- Overall length
- 1245 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.31 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Muzzleloader
- Firing mechanism
- Percussion
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 1
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued barrel color casehardened lock
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 290 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1362 J
- Effective range
- 180 m
- Maximum range
- 900 m
- Rate of fire
- 3 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Percussion lock
Two barrel bands
Brass furniture
Patch box
Steel ramrod
Flip up leaf rear sight
Saber bayonet lug
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 4.31 kg | 3.50 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 1245 mm | 1080 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 838 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 1 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket
How much does the Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket weigh?
The Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket weighs 4.31 kg (9.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket?
The Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket is chambered in .58 Caliber Minié Ball.
How many rounds does the Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket hold?
The Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket holds 1 rounds.
How long is the Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket?
The Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket is 1245 mm (49.0 in) long overall, with a 838 mm (33.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket?
The Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket is made by Dixie Gun Works, Inc. (United States). It was designed by Remington Arms (original pattern).
When was the Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket introduced?
The Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket was introduced in 1863.
How does the Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket operate?
The Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket uses a muzzleloader action, and its firing mechanism is percussion.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Union Army
- 1863
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/dixie-1862-zouave-rifle-musket' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "dixie-1862-zouave-rifle-musket", "name": "Dixie 1862 Zouave Rifle-Musket", "manufacturer": { "id": "dixie-gun-works", "name": "Dixie Gun Works, Inc.", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1954, "website": "https://www.dixiegunworks.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": false, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "updatedAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "version": "bc1d9239bb8f5b6d1b79e9ed73c63d7916601cc9e072a52881aad6ed6f10c69d" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1863, "barrel_length_mm": 838, "weight_empty_g": 4309, "action_type": "muzzleloader"}