Native American peoples. Most saw hard use and abuse, with minor parts being replaced as needed and thus may not be marked to the gun. Overcharging was common practice in those days, especially by Indians who were unaware of the effects of such heavy charges. He was also aware of not only their influence that the fine-grained European rifle powder played in its design, but also the fact that Lewis and Clark documented the performance of this radically new short rifle in their journals. Such lists are both incomplete and inaccurate; they omit arms from years when existing specimens show that they were made; and they exaggerate the number made there during certain years by incautiously jumbling Model 1800 rifles, Snipper rifles, Wallpieces, Whale guns, and barrels only which were furnished both to contractors and to militia companies, all in one list. 9, Pg. I am almost certain, knowing Colter, he would have taken the opportunity to keep his rifle. Such were the men drawn to the rifle corps and their expertise apparently did not go unnoticed or unrewarded. With such confusing instructions, the wide range of gunsmiths making the rifles assured inconsistencies especially when the changes were requested while guns were already in production. This basic fact completely rules out the use 1792 rifles on the expedition. It is quite possible a 1 in 15 chance. American riflemen have always been a subject of legend and myth, both in the years before our Independence from England and long after. This is explained in detail in the story. This continued until the end of production mid 1815 to 1819. We believe as time progressed (1814-1819 rifles), these small parts became interchangeable. The men Lewis recruited in 1803 were hardened frontiersmen and as such would not have even considered the use of a sling, but there is another very good reason why they could not have used slings the short rifle is structurally incapable of mounting one. (Jackson, op. He acquired 15 rifles in the Spring of 1803. A second contract was let in 1794 for 2,000 additional rifles to have a reserve on hand since the first contract was used up in the initial issue. Right -1819 dated rifle, 36 barrel with 7 groove round bottom rifling with curved lands. The stock reinforcing band would have been added and the rear sight filed down to the barleycorn style but retaining the buckhorn lower sight profile. Dies had not yet been made to make the one-piece stamping. At Harpers Ferry, Captain Meriwether Lewis obtained 15 rifles built under contract for the United States Army in 1792 and 1794. This may have been a state level arsenal repair to extend barrel life, however, we have examined some late model rifles that show no use but have a bushed touchhole. [2] What distinguishes them from civilian rifles is that they were bought by the government under military contract. This would allow the round to grip the barrel's rifling as the weapon was fired, and the rifling would impart a spin onto the round which would . The groups listed below should give the collector an idea of serial numbers ranges to be found within yearly production, viz. The Mountain Man's Rifle - Frontier Partisans Since we could not personally examine all the guns serial numbers submitted, we had to acknowledge them as either confirmed (examined and assembly numbers matching) or unconfirmed (unexamined and unknown if assembly numbers match). Collectors know these rifles were made in 1803 and pay handsomely for an early example, but Caveat Emptor when buying any short rifle of the 1803 to 1806 period. The late 1790s was still a dangerous and unsteady period in Americas growth and assured independence, with enemies and threats from many sides. (2) Charles Winthrop Sawyer, The Firearms in American History Series/ Volume III, (Boston: The Cornhill Company, 1920), Pgs. List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces, "Papers of the War Department, Authorization to Contract with Manufacturer for Rifles", "Corps of Discovery Rifles of the Expedition". We were only looking at serial numbers vs. lock dates to establish a yearly production timeline. It is the first style American issue military horn. Upper photo: 1804 rifle SN 909 made after December,1803 changes . British soldiers returning to England after our American Revolution spun tales about the unerring accuracy of our long rifle that are hard to dispel even today. The closest powder on todays market equal to the 18th century SDS is Schuetzen black powder. We have taken much of this material from that book. Davide Pedersoli sum of $2,500.00 to fund a small expeditionary group, known as the It was from this chart that Dearborn chose 76 officers for removal during the Army reductions of that year. This 1803 Harpers Ferry rifle's serial number, 12, can still be made out after George Knapp restored the gun, which is thought to be one of 15 rifles brought on Lewis and Clark's. He brought with him 15 of his most highly-skilled workmen. The journals are very specific about their movements at any time and in various places. Barrel makers seldom marked their product in this period and if they did (as in later periods), it was on the bottom of the barrel. This will clarify why these rifles were totally unsuitable for Lewiss needs. 1803 Harper's Ferry Rifle Not available at this time Lewis and Clark carried Harper's Ferry style rifles on their journey to the Pacific Ocean and back. It is time to update the history of these rifles not reinvent it. From our experience and with the list above, we know that 1803 production may be as high as 567 (unconfirmed). 337, 347 & Appendix 5. When he died in 1800, Whelan was appointed to the office. A letter also exists from Tench Coxe to William Eustis (Secretary of War) dated Nov 11, 1811 states It is considered that these rifles are so short as to be dangerous to the soldier, being only thirty-three inches. It is also possible that contract rifles of 1794 were modified at the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, by shortening the barrels and reboring and rerifling them to .54 caliber. The embarrassing rout of the First, supported by Kentucky militia, at the Battle of the Wabash led to the formation of the Legion of the United States and also coincided with some of the first. These were usually applied in three visible areas stock, barrel and lock to reassemble a rifle after cleaning. The best information on these first military contract rifles comes from George D. Mollers book American Military Shoulder Arms, Vol 2, 1790s to the end of the Flintlock period(1993). There were no .530 calibre U.S. military round ball molds (for a .54 bore) to be found. and re-bored. This pipe could not be changed for reasons explained in the text. 1807 was the year the Embargo Act was passed suspending foreign trade, so the government had to come up with its own brand of SDSfor the rifle powder. Also shown is probably the type of powder horn issued with the axe to his men. The several close calls with Indians that almost cost him his life convinced him to quit the mountains in 1810, selling his gun, 6 traps and powder to a newcomer Thomas James. One thing we noticed in our research was the differences between weapons when laid alongside each other. the barrels of 15 of the 1792 / 1794 rifles to between 33 and 36 inches The first contract was issued January 13,1792, requesting 44-1/2 barrels with 45 balls to the pound (.47 caliber bore). Note the hollow rib on rifle SN 15. Gump signature on M1792/94 contract rifle . There is really no mystery as to the type of rifles Lewis took for his expedition. of Gunpowder, , 52 Leaden Canisters for Gunpowder, and 1 Lewis (on his accidental shooting by Private Cruzatte), August 12,1806 the ball had lodged in my breeches which I knew to be the ball of the short rifles such as that he had. That answer emerges clearly if we put the smaller pieces of the puzzle into one large finished picture. (5) IBID, Pg. This was no doubt the prime reason Lewis wanted a better rifle of a single caliber. His rifle was never unloaded and always carried at the trail or advance on his right side. May 2006, Vol 32, No.2, written my Jim Merritt from our research. Few people realize that significant gaps exist in the journals that Lewis started on August 30, 1803. (14) For many years the caliber(bore size) of the short rifle has been defined as .54, an error caused by measuring the rifle at the muzzle where it is swamped for easy insertion of the patched ball. At these pressures, just as in modern firearms, any obstruction in the muzzle, such as snow or mud, would have caused them to burst in that area. Also, ALL 1803 and some early 1804 rifles carry Joseph Perkins inspector cartouche IP in a circle. (33) Shields shortened this gun on July 1, 1806 as noted by Lewis. 38-40; Pg. Sawyers judgment of their incomplete and inaccuracies is an understatement and has caused much confusion among writers, even Brown. Napoleon reestablished peace with us in 1799. from Congress for an amazing endeavor. The more detailed information we can gather on 1803-06 rifles will help immensely. Note inspector marks IW on left barrel flat of Gumpf rifle in the same configuration of inspector marks on the M1803 rifles. From our experience, the lower numbered guns (1803 & 1804 dated) were the most mismatched in terms of serial number ranges and lock date. One other important fact is that all remaining rifles were sold off at auction in St. Louis on September 23, 1806 so none were available of any type for the painting.(44). *********************************************************************, Harpers Ferry rifle production capabilities. [3] He points to a "US" stamp on the barrel of a weapon known to have been a contract rifle. There are no explanations for these omissions. The arms race was very much alive at that time and our fear of having to face British troops armed with a superior rifle forced the U.S. Army to come up with one equal to or better rifle than theirs. If any gun could talk, this would be the one that would tell some great stories. All military production 1803-1806 rifles have the heptagonal flat bottom rifling (Dearborns special rifling reference). The rib is of hollow construction instead of the solid type found on later military contract rifles (See Appendix I). It gives a sense of the give and take of opinion as to what is fact. e-WV | Harpers Ferry Armory and Arsenal - wvencyclopedia.org The short rifle, which we believe is all based upon prior successful British rifle designs, may not have taken as long as the development of an entirely new rifle. he was much pleased with the exchange and shot his gun several times; he shoots very well for an inexperienced person.(32). The charm of period grammar and spelling of the journals remains unaltered when possible. Listed in Mollers book is Israel Whelan, Purveyor of Public Stores (May,1800 Aug,1803). Their report also described the nearly two Clark, July 2, 1806 We gave the Second gun to our guides agreeable to our promis..two of the rifles have unfortunately bursted near the muscle. The center pipe was not placed at the center of the rib but about 2 forward of center. Riflemen were given great latitude in the loading and firing of their assigned weapon. Clark used the term small rifle when referring to his personal small caliber long rifle to avoid confusion with any other weapon in their arsenal. Without enough M1792 rifles in inventory to arm this new force, additional rifles were IMMEDIATELY needed. ). (5) To begin to unravel the controversy surrounding the type of rifle carried on the Voyage of Discovery, we need to examine how the short rifles appeared on the scene. But though there is some elevation of the rifle ball in its course, it is relatively so small that it is not required to aim lower than the object at any range though when at a considerable distance, say 500 yards to 700 yards, it is necessary to take a higher aim. The original example was unearthed in Ohio on a camp site occupied by Waynes Legions. (35) Garavaglia Worman, Firearms of the American West, (University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1984), Pg.9; Brown, op. We know from the 1812 riflemans manual that each soldier could select a powder charge best suited for his individual rifle, which usually was less than the standard service. If I can recover some better photos of the stock will add them. Although crude woodcuts of the period, they are of interest in the fact that they seem to be purposely depicting the short barrels of the M1800 rifle.(49). Gasss woodcuts show the horns carried on a separate strap. With the discovery of Serial Number 15 Model 1800 rifle we have categorized, for the purpose of this study, the Harpers Ferry rifles into five categories for a clearer understanding. The gun assembly number was added during final fitting of the lock (found just forward of the frizzen on the upper flat of the lock plate). After the official adoption of the rifle and its new nomenclature, both long rifle and short rifle begin to appear in inventory records. In order to be effective, the round in a rifle had to fit snugly into the barrel. This reproduction example was made by Virginia-based gunmakers Al Edge and Don Stith and represents a replica crafted on the features found on the surviving examples. Not much doubt that we copied a basic British gun design for our short rifles. Since few people understand these rifles, their origins and how to identify them, we decided to cover them briefly. They received special privileges and exclusion of normal camp duties. [1] The 1792 contract specified rifles with a 44-1/2 inch long barrel in .47 caliber. Vol 2, Pg. U.S. Harpers Ferry Model 1792 Flintlock Rifle repro - NRA Museum May,1985. We are fortunate that one of his 15 rifles survived, as well as other pre-December 1803 production military rifles, as they shed a whole new light on the Harpers Ferry short rifle story. D, British Military Flintlock Rifles/ 1740-1840, Andrew Mobray Inc, 2002, Pg. 14 & 68. [1] He told Hand that the contract was for 500 rifles, but that he was willing to extend it to 1,000. The strength of the iron in the round section of the barrels was being stretched to the limits. The rifles Lewis took with him were built under Army contract in 1792 and 1794. Louisiana Governor Claibornes return of arms for the years 1807, 1810 and 1811 show these arms in inventory at New Orleans. A special select division of two companies was also part of the organization. All these early 1803 rifles have had the other two December 1803 changes applied flat sight and the stock ferrule. Lewis wrote to Jefferson on July 7, 1803: Yesterday I shot my guns and examined the several articles which had been manufactured for me at this place; they appear to be well executed. Reproduction 1792 Militia Rifle Lock. Overall metal is generally VG with a light gunm .Click for more info. Many people believe that without these two special arms it may not have succeeded. To complete our calibre study, we measured as many original short rifle military bullet molds that we could locate in collections and in all instances they measured .520. (Smith, op. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The U.S. Army's acknowledges that there were 300 of the 1792 or 1794 contract . It gets somewhat easier when we recognize that the 18th century British military establishment used only THREE calibre balls Musket (approximately .693/14 balls to the pound), Carbine (approximately .650/17 balls to the pound), and Pistol (approximately .610/21 balls to the pound). (37) Just for a comparison to a later 19th century rifle, the Model 1895 Winchester rifle in .405 caliber firing a 300-grain bullet produced a muzzle velocity of 2,000 FPS with 3,000 foot-pounds of energy. Guns of Lewis and Clark - Buffalo Bill Center of the West NOTE ALL 1803 dated rifles were final inspected by Joseph Perkins (IP in circle on wood opposite the lock). Set 50 minie' bullets 46.10 Reproduction and sale of historical muzzle-loading and breech-loading guns. (28), Here even Moulton, probably the nations best versed scholar on the journey, makes a footnote that Ordway is specifically referring to a Model 1803 rifle. Of interest also are two of the six woodcuts (shown below, pages 95 and 267) that appeared in the 1811 edition of Sgt. The arsenal had no part in the 1792/94 contract rifles and none were ever stored there. The Model 1816 was first standardized U.S. martial arm to be manufactured at both Harpers Ferry and Springfield. In fact, Serial numbers 15, 94, 214 and 359 are the only rifles we found to date retaining the straight upper ramrod pipe confirming they are PRE-DECEMBER 1803 production. In July of 1803 Jefferson made the official announcement of the Louisiana purchase in the United States, the same month Lewis picked up his rifles at Harpers Ferry. to the records in Lancaster, these were .49 caliber weapons, with a and fit them with new locks. The term short rifle, coined by Dearborn 1803 to make a distinction between it and the old pattern long rifles, appears throughout the journals kept by different members and it means just what it is was intended to mean the new Model 1800 rifle. SN 359 is the highest known pre-December production military contract rifle we have recorded to date. Lewis quietly went about gathering his supplies for his small party of men so as not to expose the real size of the expedition about 30 men, all under Army authority and pay.(6). Perhaps some of the journals were lost. John Shields, the man who fixed everything, including Lewiss airgun, returned to the Missouri to roam with Daniel Boone, a reputed relative. (21) Jackson, op. Build Track's 1792 Contract flintlock longrifleparts set, with 15/16" octagon barrel in .50, or .54 caliber Total: $816.82 Barrel: 1 - [BBL-50-C-42] Barrel, .50 caliber, 15/16" octagon, 42", 1-66" twist, 6.2 lb, crowned, 3/4-16 thread for breech plug, made in the U.S.A. [$225.00] We built a case to house the gun when on display along with a list of details unique to the first 15 rifles. Breech markings on SN 15 rifle. Dearborn makes no comment of interchangeability of locks for the military rifles, making this feature unique to Lewiss fifteen rifles. mention the specific type of weapon Lewis obtained. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1792_contract_rifle&oldid=1093724859, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 June 2022, at 13:01. What may be significant is that he not only mentions the rifles within 3 months of starting his entries again in January,1806, but does so in 5 of the following 6 months. We also encountered some pipe distance variations on the Lewis rifle and some pre-December,1803 military guns. Springfield 1795 Rifles, replica Springfield 1795 Rifles - Davide Pedersoli territory recently acquired from France in what became known as the This pipe placement was a common British characteristic found on the Ferguson rifle and the P76 series. The original sight on SN 15 still had blueing on the underside. a .45 caliber ball would shoot well with 45 grains of rifle powder. 2682 (C) (highest number confirmed). To understand just how special these men were, one must understand the training provided along with what was expected of them while using the new Model 1803 rifle. cit., pg. Guns of the Grunt: 1813 :: Guns.com Most long rifles will shoot well with a charge slightly greater than the ball diameter viz. A condensed version of the short rifle story was published in We Proceeded On journal. The stock displays four sun shaped inlays filled with pine resin that can be seen in the above stock photos. 26. Locks are somewhat interchangeable on the early rifles but in all cases they will display traces of fitting, either in the lock mortise or the lock itself (sear bent, mounting screw holes are enlarged, or some other noticeable work). The short rifle, in any form, could not mount a sling without an addition barrel lug for support, so we know for sure the 1800/03 series of rifles were never intended for use of a sling. We will let the reader draw their own conclusion based upon the information herein. The short rifle was working on the extreme edge of the maximum pressure an iron barrel of 1800 could withstand. Lewis had 18 of these tomahawks made in Harpers Ferry, no doubt upon the same established pattern, picking them up on May 18, 1803 along with 15 rifle pouches, 15 powder horns and 15 scalping knives to accompany the 15 short rifles. Next is a center thimble placed two inches forward of any known military contract rifles. The new heptagonal rifling allowed more shots between cleaning, making it better than the English Baker Rifle. It is important to note that we only bought the rights to legally acquire full ownership from the inhabitants of the territory. 30. As noted, all 1803 and many early 1804 rifles have ROUNDED undersides at the breech end. It lays to rest any notion that the term short rifle used prior to or after July 2, 1806 was referring any type of cut down long rifles since both cut rifles disappear into history in the hands of two Indian guides. After being given to states when obsolete, many were converted to percussion. No rifles left Harpers Ferry without at least SOME of the requested alterations. Spain had not given their permission to cross into their territories beyond the Rockies, so to insure the safety of the party, the world at large was left to believe that the expedition would be only the planned 8 to 12 men as approved by Congress. This rifle, with its tremendous muzzle velocity, would have also impressed the Indians as it was the finest, most technologically advanced rifle of its day. Great War Militaria 2019. With that threat over, the American rifle battalions were dropped in the May 4, 1800 Army reorganization. From 1796-1800, a number (332) of 1792 rifles were loaned to the Indian Department from storage at Schuylkill Arsenal In Philadelphia. (Phillip Schreier/ Winchester Model of 1895 .405 Win/American Rifleman, April 2007/ pg. If we are real romantics, serial number 15 may have been the one given to John Colter (and subsequently lost to the Indians) who went back to the West and become a legend in his own right.(51). The standard service charge was 100 grains (in a rolled cartridge), allowing for 10 in the pan and 90 in the barrel. Expecting another conflict with England, it was a wise move to cut our dependence on British imported rifle powder. (43) Correspondence with and Documents provided by E.I DuPont Manuscripts & Archives Department/ July,2004. Since they had almost 4 months, it would have been an easy task even with interchangeable locks.(20). The size of the mark is not mentioned, nor the total number of shots fired, but most likely it represented a man sized target (for which military rifles were designed), or about an 18 circle, which, in 1803 was very respectable shooting with round balls and thus noteworthy in the journals. Led by Jefferson's secretary, Meriwether Lewis, Rifles made after the DEC 1803 changes have a squared side profile barleycorn sight. locks and spare lock parts for each rifle. There was probably more than just Colter who bought their guns. Hopefully more confirmed (C) 1803 dated rifles can be found and examined. Fevert de Saint Memin of Meriwether Lewis in fanciful frontier dress holding an artists conception of a long rifle with sling swivels.. As ridiculous as this print is in itself, it has no historical context nor any importance in regards to the expedition so it is not worthy of being included in the story except for the its effect upon the long rifle theory. John Potts, another expedition member, was killed in this encounter. Sometime in 1804 breech contour became octagon rather than round (and continued to end of all production) to possibly reinforce this area. (12) Jackson, op. In addition, for this mark to be applied, the weapon passed some sort of inspection process by an arsenal inspector. Using this as a crude standard, Lewiss 15 rifles would have required approximately 750 man-hours to produce, meaning they could have conservatively been completed in less than two weeks with materials available at the arsenal. Unfortunately, other listed 1803 dated rifles (U) from various collections, auctions and sales catalogs could not be examined in greater details for straight or flared upper pipe. These consisted of the best marksmen in the regiment and were to be emulated by the others in the unit. Each rifle was still an individually produced weapon with no interchangeability of parts. It is interesting to note that in 1802, 500 rifles were sent to the Mississippi territory (to William S. Hollings, U.S. consul in New Orleans) and may have been in the hands of riflemen at the Battle of New Orleans. Article by Edward R. Flanagan discussing the 1792 and 1807 contract rifles. Early production retained the heptagonal rifling if using a pre-rifled barrel from old stock, later production (about mid 1815) used the new round bottomed rifling if using a new made barrel. NO serial numbers. (18) When Dearborn requested the December changes, finished weapons had the straight upper ramrod pipes BRAZED to the rib. From reading Dearborn's letter, (See Appendix II). Lewis was also no stranger to the use of rifles. A previous years work on the new Model 1800 rifle project would have been adequate to complete the prototype process with only the production phase halted. Lewis, April 12,1806 we caused all the men who had short rifles to carry them, in order to be prepared for the natives should they make any attempts to rob or injure them. France had acquired New Orleans from Spain in 1800, so they ignored these threats from Spain toward the United States. If read in full context, noting the dates the rifles are mentioned by proper name, they are convincing enough to satisfy even the most skeptical about what type of rifles to which they were referring. President Jefferson would not have left Lewis in the dark about the upcoming deal with France. 500 Rifle Flints, 420 Pounds of Sheet Lead for Bullets, 176 Pounds We are especially looking for a rifle over SN 4000 as it would tell us if they started serial numbering at 16.
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