I think that they were cast. I don't think the technology was around then to swage a hollow base bullet with such a large cavity. I have seen plenty of "Gang Moulds" at gun shows which can cast 10 bullets at a pop. They were all three piece with an insert in the bottom to make the hollow base and the sprue was at the tip of the bullet. This makes sense as the bullet will not be out of balance along it's longitudinal axis if the sprue is cut too long or too short. It will only change the weight of the projectile slightly.
Andy......on the whole, very few rifles were made at Springfield Armory....only 265,129 of the 1861 model and 273,265 of the 1863 model. The vast majority of Civil War Rifles were made by contractors such as Alfred Jenks & Sons (Bridesburg), Eagleville, Manton, Millbury, Mowry, Muir, Sarson & Roberts, Norfolk (Norfolk, Conn) Norwich, Parkers' Snow & Co., Providence Tool, Remington, Robinson, Savage, Schubarth, Norris & Clement, Trenton Locomotive & Machine Co., Union Arms, Watertown and even a German Manufacturer in Suhl, Germany, Whitney and Winsor Locks The 1861 Special Contract Rifle was made by Colt, Amoskeag, Lamson, Goodnow & Yale and E.G. Lamson & Co.
Well over 2 million Rifles.
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