Lincoln took an active role in the selection of the U.S. Army's rifles. He was a proponent of the new fangled rifle/musket over the muskets that were then in use. He pressed for the adoption of a breech loading rifled musket over the smooth bore muzzle loading muskets then in use.
In the summer of 1861 he and a staff member went out for some target shooting on the White House south lawn. Lincoln some believe carried a Henry and the secretary a Springfield prototype rifled musket. At any rate they began shooting at targets about 100 yards away. A passing Sargent and his troops rode up and demanded they stop shooting and put down the weapons. Then he saw who it was and beat a retreat. Lincoln said "Well, they might have stayed to see the shooting."
Alexander Rose's useful book "American Rifle" tells this tale and a few others.
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