1792 harpers ferry rifle

Led by Jefferson's secretary, Meriwether Lewis, Lewis, June 18, 1806 ..we sent them a rifle which we offered as a reward to any of them who would engage to conduct us to travellers rest..(30), Clark, June 18, 1806 We dispatched Drewyer and Shannon to the Chopunnish Indian in the plains beyond the Kooskooske in order to hasten the arrival of the Indians who promised to accompany us, or to precure a guide at all events and to join us as Soon as possible. The rifles Lewis took with him were built under Army contract in 1792 and 1794. [1], In January 1792, U.S. Secretary of War Henry Knox authorized former General Edward Hand to contract with manufacturers for the rifles. Riflemen were given great latitude in the loading and firing of their assigned weapon. Caliber 52. (6) The Spanish administered the French speaking colony. The third observation is that an entirely new lightweight lock was specified for the rifle, meaning that no lock of that style had been previously used on military weapons. John Potts, another expedition member, was killed in this encounter. 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). The .520 ball also meets Dearborns 30 balls to the pound requirement. 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). Subject to a great deal of folklore, the Harpers Ferry Model 1803 rifle is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful guns ever produced. Most reconversions are easy to spot, but we have seen original rifles that have had the touchhole bushed (using hardened iron or brass) which will not erode. From reading Dearborn's letter, There are some other detail pictures in Appendix I. I had no detail photos of the stock itself which is the purpose of this photo. How inspections were done before this time is unknown as well as any markings that may have been applied during the process. Over 300 of these rifles were stored at the Harpers Ferry arsenal when At that time it had no lock. Both men made sure that all short rifles would be readily available, being the most effective means of defending themselves should they be attacked. It was under these clouds of potential war that the short rifle was born. cit., pg. What is important is that Dearborn was well enough informed of the benefits offered by the new rifling design to make note of it in his letter. Every Collectors Guide on U.S. military firearms has the calibre of these very important rifles wrong (as well as other flintlock government contract rifles to follow but that is another story) because no one took the time to properly gauge the bore. Curly Maple 1/2 Stock Grd IV (85-100% Curl - $195) Curly Maple 1/2 StockGrd V ( Finest Curl - $260) Cherry ($135) Walnut ( $135) (Footnote 18). Major historical writers on antique firearms could not find an explanation for the errors found in both the Harpers Ferry 1805 pistol and 1795 musket production. The arsenal produced nothing at that time requiring such sheet brass. Barrel lengths, thicknesses and profiles (wedding ring, octagon portion and diameters) varied widely. . 1803 Harpers Ferry Rifle. (21) Jackson, op. Both officers witnessed the Treaty of Greenville on August 3, 1795 that helped secure claim to the area between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. (1), Sawyers Model 1800 rifle theory was based upon the fact that on March 3, 1799, Congress passed an act authorizing the addition to the regular army of One Regiment and battalion rifles consisting of 1,840 privates, totaling 2052 men. It was from his post in Pittsburgh that he enlisted in Waynes Second Sub-Legion in May of 1795 and joined the Chosen Rifle Company of elite riflemen-sharpshooters commanded by William Clark. It is quite likely that Lewis and Jefferson decided to change the civilian exploring party into a military expedition by doubling the size. The original sight on SN 15 still had blueing on the underside. All other rifles produced had brass front blades. See the special Chapter VIII for more information on these contract rifles. (15) Since locks were built by a specialized artisan in the arsenal, he too has his own small assembly numbers on each part of the lock that are independent of the rifle assembly number. We can only guess what happened to the patch box cover. It may have been removed to make brass jewelry of the day. The M1792 was a heavier built It was there that he became fast friends with his new commander during their short time together. But for the precaution taken in bringing on those extra locks and parts of locks, in addition to the ingenuity of John Shields, most of our guns would at this moment be entirely unfit for use; but fortunately for us I have it in my power here to record that they are all in good order.. In additional correspondence of February 4,1792, barrel lengths of 42 were requested with 40 balls to the pound (.49 caliber bore). MODEL 1819 HARPERS FERRY CONVERTED TO PERCUSSION RIFLE. the 25 May 1803 letter from Secretary of War Henry Dearborn to the Superintendent Guns of the Grunt: 1813 :: Guns.com Most saw hard use and abuse, with minor parts being replaced as needed and thus may not be marked to the gun. This may have been done as part of an actual arsenal (or state) overhaul or just to enhance their value to a collector. Since this bore size conflicted with Dearborns specifications of 30 balls to the pound (a smaller size than a .540 bore would require), we decided to gauge the bores of as many original short rifles as possible. *********************************************************************, Harpers Ferry rifle production capabilities. (28)(((26), Clark writes of the same incident we Caused all the men of the party who had Short guns to carry them on the portage for fear of Some attempt on the part of the nativs to rob the party.(27). The most likely candidate are 1792 contract rifles. (48). We have taken much of this material from that book. Ernie said to me we will build them but only if you are sure that is what they used. This combination allows the .520 calibre ball to be loaded with ease (as described in Dearborns letter) even when the steel rod gets slippery from use. These glaring errors send up big red flags for his yearly production records too many to be ignored. Pipes were hard soldered to the rib before assembly so they would not release from the rib during the barrel mounting process. When this arsenal was abandoned in 1798, he was given the task of setting up the new government arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Again, it is very important to recognize that Lewiss rifles had absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming 1803 military contract. Most long rifles will shoot well with a charge slightly greater than the ball diameter viz. 38-40; Pg. 33-35. needed rifles like the one Lewis had procured for the expedition, and Whitehouse used she when describing the air gun on August 30, 1804, and Lewis uses it again on August 7, 1805 ..my air gun was out of order and her sights had been removed by some accedent.. This indicates that when Lewis writes where she was manufactured, he is not referring to the lock, but rather the rifle itself. 46. Today, that same term would not apply to anything regarding a rifle. Many historians believe that Lewis and Clark traveled west with these . the lock, barrel, and stock, is the bare minimum needed to tell if the rifle is an original assembly. From shooting the rifles, we did discover that the center pipe being slightly forward of center helps guide the rod into the ramrod channel. They were unique as explained in the text, therefore only Lewiss 15 rifles would fall into this category. 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). The most notable and significant difference in the Serial Number 15 rifle is the STRAIGHT upper ramrod thimble, indicating production prior to Dearborns December changes. This tells us that they were sighting their rifles to 300 yards with a mid-range trajectory designed to strike the center at 125 to 150 yards. 3. As noted, all 1803 and many early 1804 rifles have ROUNDED undersides at the breech end. Dies had not yet been made to make the one-piece stamping. C. (9) Tony Hunter, The Wilderness Fighters: Part Four, (Muzzleloader Magazine, JULY/AUG 2005), Pgs. A second contract for the same weapon took place in 1794. Not only was it the first military rifle produced at a government arsenal, but also the first U.S. military weapon to use extra fine double strength powder that stretched firearms technology to the limits of its day. Thomas Rodney called Lewiss air rifle she when he wrote about his encounter with Lewis on September 7, 1803 ..he shewed us the mode of charging herbut she by some means lost the whole charge of air Set 50 minie' bullets 46.10 Reproduction and sale of historical muzzle-loading and breech-loading guns. (7) Sawyer, op. (26)(24), Clark writes of the same event: The Guns of Sergt. 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. It is a hammer poll type with a large US marking. The rear sight is a buckhorn long rifle style (see appendix I), favored for using Kentucky windage by frontiersmen for long range shooting, stamped with the assembly number on the underside to match with the assembly number stamped in the dovetailed slot on the barrel (no other assembly number appears on the barrel, which is unusual since government rifles are marked on the underside, indicating perhaps a special run of guns. 2. (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. reproduction example was made by Virginia-based gunmakers Al Edge The butt plate is of two-piece construction indicating hand fabrication before a mold was made to cast them for full military rifle production. 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 was from this chart that Dearborn chose 76 officers for removal during the Army reductions of that year. (Smith, op. The U.S. Army's acknowledges that there were 300 of the 1792 or 1794 contract rifles at the arsenal at that time. To farther test our findings, we also made a go no go gauge of .532 calibre (which would easily fit any .54 caliber rifle) and found that it would not enter the rifled bore (even if worn slightly) of any short rifles made from 1803 to 1819. On February 28, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson won approval The next day he reset the sights and regulated the gun. These are true mountain man or Indian decorations. There was probably more than just Colter who bought their guns. The lowest serial number we have examined with the 1803 changes or updates is No. Model 1814 common rifle - Wikipedia To find the maximum charge a rifle would hold, they would fire over a snowbank until unburned grains of powder begin to appear in the snow. Since the Army ordered only 4,000, the additional 15 were Lewiss rifles. U.S. Harpers Ferry Model 1842 Percussion Musket - NRA Museum Each new writer simply took the word of a previous author without checking for themselves. Above is a 10-shot group at 65 yards with Rifle SN 1, using 65 grains of SDS powder, 6 bulls-eye. Not only have we found many military rifles made before December of 1803, but we have irrefutable government correspondence placing a prototype in Dearborns hands by December of 1803. He was 38 years old (believed to have been born in 1774) and experienced a life that is excelled by few. In order to be effective, the round in a rifle had to fit snugly into the barrel. Another feature we believe unique to the first 15 rifles was the placement of the second pipe which is closer to the front pipe than those of military production rifles. The multiple guns we have uncovered with pre-December,1803 characteristics proves this point. A 65-grain charge of SDS (fine rifle) powder with a 215 grain .520 calibre ball produced a muzzle velocity of 1450 feet per second. He acquired 15 rifles in the Spring of 1803. Another fact noted is wedge keys were used for barrel mounting, making them easy to disassemble and clean in the field. The name short rifle was applied to the new weapon immediately to separate from the common long rifle then in use (called the M1792 by collectors today). Perhaps he inspected and marked all guns that came through his hands at Schuylkill Arsenal after 1797 until he became Purveyor of Public Stores in 1800. Trade guns, with their octagon breech and round barrels were prone to burst at the muzzle if overcharged. Brass was a scarce commodity in the West of that day. (43) Duponts rifle powder, based upon a French formula lacked the quality saltpeter found in English powder, so it did not perform quite as well as the previously imported English rifle powder, but at least it cut our dependence on imported rifle powder. All of the above are estimated 1803 production SN ranges based upon the earliest serial number of a confirmed 1804 dated rifle (as done with each year block). Fifteen Harpers Ferry Model 1792 rifles are believed to have Seventeen gunsmiths delivered 2,000 rifles by November 1794. The amazing distances they were expected to shoot is also recorded .. it becomes necessary to aim lower than the level line when the objects are near and to aim higher when beyond a given distance. (17,19) Dating was important because weapons had a serviceable shelf life, which, when expired or obsolete, were usually turned over to State Militia Arsenals as part of their yearly arms allotments. the Falls of the Ohio River, near Louisville, Kentucky. Under Major General Anthony Wayne, it was comprised of 5,120 officers and men composed of four sub legions, each of which contained four rifle companies, requiring 1,312 rifles to arm the 82 riflemen in the 16 rifle companies. These are two important points to consider when looking for a REAL 1803 production rifle. After being given to states when obsolete, many were converted to percussion. This was a literal blank check to use all resources to make Lewiss arms in time for the upcoming expedition. of the Harpers Ferry Arsenal Joseph Perkin, and the 8 July 1803 letter It does not get any better than taking serial numbers and dates from existing specimens. It would not have changed the size of the ball. One explanation for this attitude could have been Frances desire to attach the sale of the port to the entire Louisiana Territory. What a story this rifle could tell! letter to Perkin supports this, especially when Dearborn states that One only needs to read the many books giving weapons production figures to see that no two authors, using a variety of records, seem to totally agree. It has also been generally agreed that a lot of imported (factory purchased) locks were used on these rifles to speed up the process. At 100 yards, the odds were very much in favor of being struck by an American rifle ball whereas a British soldier, using the smoothbore musket, could shoot all day and probably not strike a man sized target at 100 yards, thus our riflemen were greatly feared. Muskets and Rifles - Discover Lewis & Clark The lock plate markings (lettering) are individually hand stamped, done before a full die stamp had been made for full production (see Appendix I). 9. There was another good reason to increase the size of the party in secret. 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. Dearborn wrote again to Perkin on December 2, 1803, stating The iron ribbed Rifle in my opinion is an excellent pattern, with the following very trifling alterations (viz.) 106-107. We believe the riflemans bag was of the same two-compartment design issued to later riflemen using metal powder flasks, the only difference being their bags would not have had the flask suspension straps. Our first rifle manual was published 1812 as The Handbook for Riflemen, written by William Duane, second in command of the United States Regiment of Riflemen from 1808 to 1810. The charm of period grammar and spelling of the journals remains unaltered when possible. This rifle had been inletted for the brass stock ferrule, but the band found with the rifle was a modern brass replacement making it impossible to ascertain exactly when it was attempted. Over time they were issued to a variety of states and even Indian tribes (as many as 600 to the Chickasaws during the 1793/94 period), leaving 911 rifles in stores on October 1,1802. Apparently guns of both contracts were directly delivered to various sources where needed but 1,060 rifles show up in stock at Schuylkill arsenal on Jan 1, 1797, the surplus needed for emergencies as they arose. All 1803 dated military rifles examined had a solid rib and rounded bottom breech barrel profile. In many early articles on frontiersmen and their rifles, the same method was described to determine a powder charge. 98. The adoption of the full stocked common rifle (now the Model 1817 in .530 caliber and fitted with sling swivels for use by mounted riflemen) two years before the completion of the second run of short rifles tells us that the military Model 1803 rifles had some serious shortcomings. and fit them with new locks. These are good serial numbers to help determine correct lock plate dates with serial numbers. transcontinental water route to the Pacific Ocean through the he ordered Perkin to produce similar ones for the entire Army. Also shown is probably the type of powder horn issued with the axe to his men. 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. (12) Jackson, op. Lewis and Clark - U.S. Army Center of Military History <snip> Except its not "short". My photos are crummy. Not understanding this causes a lot of errors even in the most modern books on British muzzle loading rifles. (5) IBID, Pg. 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. Use and wear quickly changes this. Standard rifle powder (FFFg) of that day simply cannot produce the pressure needed to burst an octagon barrel, especially at the muzzle where the energy has expended. PDF U.S. Model 1803 Prototype Rifle Moreover, Dearborn's Sgt Ordway, June 18, 1806 Drewyer and Shannon Sent on ahead to go to the villages of the pel-oll-pellow nation they took one of the Short rifles in order to git a pilot if possible to go over the mount with us. Windsor birst his gun near the muzzle a few days since; this Shields cut off and I exchanged it with the Cheif for the one we had given him for conducting us over the mountain. Many people believe that without these two special arms it may not have succeeded. All second contract guns were delivered by November of 1794. In the day when an average soldier could only dream of hitting an X on a wood block at 30 paces, a good rifleman in action was something to behold as he placed shot after shot into it. About 5/8 has been removed from the muzzle of the barrel (perhaps it too had split). Additionally, Lewis purchased replacement (49) James Kendall Hosmer, ed., Gasss Journal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Mansfield Centre: Lone Wolf Press, 1999, Reprint of 1904 edition of Gasss Journal), Pgs. Pedersoli's Shop website offers the sale of muzzle-loading pistols and rifles and related accessories, of historic cartridge rifles and modern rifles with lever loading system. Periods where Lewis made no entries are September 19 to November 11 of 1803, May 14, 1804 to April 7, 1805 (almost an entire year) and August 26, 1805 to January 1, 1806.(23). The ones I managed to find show up here and in Appendix I where we look at the difference in these 15 rifles and the military production. The only logical explanation is that it was put on by someone after the gun was made and stored at an arsenal. the first had a Cock screw broken which was replaced by a duplicate which had been prepared for the Locks at Harpers, Ferry; the Second repared with a new Lock, the old one becoming unfit for use.(25). As it progresses it will become obvious as to which lock plate dates belong which guns by serial number blocks. The highest serial numbered 1803 rifle we could confirm is 318. This will clarify why these rifles were totally unsuitable for Lewiss needs. Clark resigned his commission six months after Lewis arrived (1796).(10). There was only one individual working within the gun procurement circles at that time to whom the IW mark may could have belonged Israel Whelan. In this manner they were able to produce the much-needed rifles in the remarkably short time allotted. His use of the word glaized is interesting since it was a term used in British correspondence (spelled glazed) when referring to the fine rifle powder (SDS)used during the American Revolution in both the Ferguson and British Pattern rifled carbines (P76 rifles).(41). A note accompanying this find remarks that in every instance, the measurement was .002 smaller (making it a .519 ball for a 30 bore) than a gauge list reputed to have been adopted by the London Proofing Company in 1883 (which is used in many books today). When he died in 1800, Whelan was appointed to the office. BOTTOM: Half-stock fowler made by BARKER in the 1775-1785 period. If fired (used) it will display slight erosion around the bushing. The steel ramrod, even when greasy from use, is heavy enough to push the ball down the bore if the proper combination of patch and ball used. Along the same thoughts, the term long rifle never appears in the journals, being inappropriate since in Lewiss day using that term would have specifically meant the M1792 rifle. All 1814 and into about mid-production 1815 used left over barrels from the first production run. . Designed with rifling for accurate long distance shooting, this weapon could shoot 300 yards. 1792 contract rifle - Wikipedia Harpers Ferry - Discover Lewis & Clark In addition, for this mark to be applied, the weapon passed some sort of inspection process by an arsenal inspector. It was Coxe (for whom Whelan worked) who placed an order for 1000 of the 1794 rifles. 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. We can choose to cling to the past but to do so is an injustice to historians and collectors who want the truth. Each rifle was still an individually produced weapon with no interchangeability of parts. Thus, if any notes or journals exist for those lost periods, there is a good chance the rifles were mentioned in one form or another. 15,707 rifles were produced on this contract. Moller makes an interesting statement regarding storekeeper George Ingalls (Schuylkill Arsenal) 1810 records in his chapter on the 1807 contract rifles and is worth quoting in its entirety The dates that the rifles were entered in the storekeepers records usually summarized several earlier deliveries and should not be construed as the actual dates of deliveries. The closest powder on todays market equal to the 18th century SDS is Schuetzen black powder. Whelan may have also been the inspector for Tench Francis, Purveyor of Public Stores from 1795-1800. It is important to remember that when shooting at longer distances, their target would consist of an enemy cannon crew, a group of officers, or an infantry line of battle. This has been a consistent error found in ALL gun books and writings relating to this weapon. 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. Could it have been one of the rifles that were shortened and given to the Indians? This single fact alone is enough to show the inaccuracy of the Bomford records since he shows no short rifles, pattern or otherwise, produced in 1803. Pennsylvania gunsmiths produced these weapons, which were .49 caliber with a 42-inch barrel. This was no doubt the prime reason Lewis wanted a better rifle of a single caliber. 8,, Pg.302). (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. Our serial number research shows that all first production military contract rifles (4000) were completed by the end of 1806 (none have been recorded to date with an 1807 dated lock plate), for a total of 4015 and possibly 4 early (Ca. We believe the sharp ears of the buckhorn sight were detrimental to field use, plus you would have to be an experienced shooter (as were Lewiss men) to understand the way in which the buckhorn sight was used for long distances (called Kentucky windage).

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