Rimfire · Proprietary · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardizedObsolete
.54 Burnside
Proprietary brass cartridge for the Burnside Carbine, one of the most-issued Civil War cavalry weapons; a transitional design with a hole in the base for the percussion cap..
- Caliber
- 0.561″ · 14.25 mm
- Introduced
- 1857
- Case
- Rimfire
- Primary use
- Target, Small game
- Status
- Discontinued
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Introduced
- 1857
- Type
- Rimfire
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Ambrose Burnside
- Manufacturer
- Burnside
- Standard
- Proprietary · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardized
- SAAMI
- Not SAAMI standardized
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Rare
- Case capacity
- 76.2 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:20
- Primer
- Rimfire
- Case type
- Rimfire
- Max pressure
- 14,000 CUP, SAAMI crusher
- Eff. range
- 200 yd
- Max range
- 2950 yd
- Recoil
- 11.9–13.7 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
Velocity only, no drag model: no published ballistic coefficient is on file for .54 Burnside, so this is the shape gravity alone gives the advertised velocity. Drag would steepen it. The tool below solves real loads through their published G1 or G7 model.
Open in Ballistic Compare- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 14.25 | 0.561 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 13.97 | 0.550 | ~ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 14.84 | 0.584 | |
| Rim ⌀ | 18.14 | 0.714 | |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 2.80 | 0.110 | |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 42.42 | 1.670 | |
| Overall length | 61.47 | 2.420 | ~ |
Missing a dimension for .54 Burnside? Some case measurements aren't in a published SAAMI/CIP drawing yet. Have a factory or reamer print? Send it → — verified hard-to-find data earns a free Lindcott sticker.
Firearms chambered in .54 Burnside
Connected reference
History
Developed in 1857 by Ambrose Burnside for his Burnside Carbine, this is a transitional cartridge — the tapered brass case held the bullet and powder, but required a separate percussion cap at the base rather than being fully self-contained. Over 55,000 Burnside Carbines were issued to Union cavalry during the Civil War, making this one of the more historically significant 19th-century cartridges.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .54 Burnside use?
- .54 Burnside typically uses a 1:20 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .54 Burnside?
- .54 Burnside uses a 0.561″ (14.25 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .54 Burnside still in production?
- .54 Burnside is discontinued; typical availability is rare.
- What is .54 Burnside used for?
- .54 Burnside is primarily used for target, small game.
Sources & provenance
- Reference Gun Digest Books — Cartridges of the World (Frank C. Barnes) — obsolete American section, .54 Burnside entry · bullet ⌀, year, grain weights
- Secondary Wikipedia — Burnside carbine · bullet ⌀, velocity archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
