1792 harpers ferry rifle

(Jackson, op. (commonly used) in actual service". All military M1803 rifles used a solid rib for a better soft solder adhering surface. Again, it is very important to recognize that Lewiss rifles had absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming 1803 military contract. the majority were issued through Harpers Ferry. 351; Vol. All I had to do was prove that Harpers Ferry COULD have made his guns within the allotted timeframe and that a lot of period records being used as gospel by writers for many years were wrong. May 2006, Vol 32, No.2, written my Jim Merritt from our research. Much conjecture has also surrounded the possibility of slings being attached to Lewiss rifles. One explanation for this attitude could have been Frances desire to attach the sale of the port to the entire Louisiana Territory. The conclusion was that 1/3 of the entire lot of 1,779 rifles would burst if proved, so they were condemned. We found the Model 1800 rifle to be most accurate with a 65-grain charge. In 1798 Perkin was appointed to set up the new government arsenal at Harpers Ferry. The .520 ball also meets Dearborns 30 balls to the pound requirement. At 200 yards we could keep all shots on a man size silhouette. rifle than the typical "Kentucky" and well suited to the rigors of It has begun to let loose from hard use. Before the United States military used standardized weapons with interchangeable parts, it bought rifles that are difficult to distinguish from their civilian equivalent. Lewiss took 50 pounds of Best Rifle Powder from Harpers Ferry and purchased 176 pounds of English Cannister Powder from Beck & Harvey in Philadelphia, who made the best rifle powder in the world. At Harpers Ferry, Captain Meriwether Lewis obtained 15 rifles built Left 1804 dated rifle, 33 barrel with original 7 groove polygon rifling with flat land. (Brown, op. 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. There is the possibility that a few rifles may exist with an 1807 lock but none have surfaced as of this writing. (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. His position as Arsenal Superintendent gave him access to a large reference collection of various types of rifles stored at the arsenal, including samples of British rifles of the American Revolution with their proven technology using fine German rifle powder (SDS), all of which found its way into the new United States Army short rifle.(11). As for the slings Lewis, assigned regimental paymaster to the First Infantry Regiment in 1800, had visited all the Western forts and garrisons and was so well acquainted with them and their men that in 1802 (after he became the Presidents personal Secretly in March of 1801) Jefferson appointed him to prepare a chart rating the 269 officers then in the Army. During our research, we found no recorded instances of any octagon barrel ever bursting. The Harpers Ferry short rifle had long been linked by folklore and early historical writings to the epic Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery that threaded its way through the Northwest to the Pacific Ocean and back from 1804 to 1806. Those who kept journals (each Sergeant was to keep one) recorded every day facts in the terminology of the day nothing more, nothing less. 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. When he died in 1800, Whelan was appointed to the office. The charm of period grammar and spelling of the journals remains unaltered when possible. As noted in the M1792/94 story, in 1805, of remaining rifles in stores at Schuylkill Arsenal, 94 were designated unserviceable and 5 serviceable meaning that an inspection process was in now in place. The butt end of the ramrod should be concaved suited to the shape of the Ball the locks should be light and well executed the mounting should be brass there should be at least two thousand of these rifles made. Writers today lump these rifles into basically one class Model 1803, but the story is not that simple and needs to be told for future collectors and historians. Most went directly to the troops for which they were intended but part of the last contract (1060) were sent directly from Lancaster, Pa. to Schuylkill Arsenal in the 1795-1797 period, just as the inspection process began in earnest in 1799 at Harpers Ferry and became a standard process for all firearms. Initially 908 rifles went to Ft. Pitt and 100 to Virginia. The rifle is in almost relic condition, weathered, sun bleached and exhibiting an extremely hard life in the outdoors. (37), The short rifle was Americas first experiment with fine powders and high pressures. Each rifle was still an individually produced weapon with no interchangeability of parts. In the February 4th letter the tumbler on the lock was to have a fly (to keep it from catching on the half cock) and a 4-piece patch box with button release. 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. The first rifles made at Harpers Ferry reflect the popular American design of the Pennsylvania and Kentucky rifles. It was Coxe (for whom Whelan worked) who placed an order for 1000 of the 1794 rifles. distn 220 yards. We have only his account of events for this survival story, with the known fact that he arrived at Ft. Remon almost naked with sore feet and starving. Clarke added in his entry the additional comment that the guns were Complete in every respect. In May of 1803 the sheet lead was sent from Schuylkill Arsenal to Harpers Ferry for Lewis to pick up for that purpose (which he did on May 18, 1803). Colter joined their party and led them to the Yellowstone Valley. (Phillip Schreier/ Winchester Model of 1895 .405 Win/American Rifleman, April 2007/ pg. rivers, animals, and peoples. We will let the reader draw their own conclusion based upon the information herein. Another fact noted is wedge keys were used for barrel mounting, making them easy to disassemble and clean in the field. Moreover, Dearborn's *********************************************************************** 1803 dated rifles, 15 (C) straight pipe with barrel band possibly added by Shields, 35 (U) Norm Flayderman catalog #51, ca 1961, 94 (C) retains straight pipe with upgrades, *318 (C) first recorded flared upper pipe, 359 (C) straight pipe, 1805 lock plate w/upgrades. with the short rifles Lewis had the armory make for the expedition that 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. Note inspector marks IW on left barrel flat of Gumpf rifle in the same configuration of inspector marks on the M1803 rifles. We can be certain of this since they made it a point to trade back the full length short rifle taken by Drewyer and Shannon on June 18 as noted in Ordways journal above. Whether Lewis had previous knowledge of the existence of the new rifle due to his close relationship with Dearborn, we shall never know, but he would have jumped at the chance to obtain the new short rifle for his expedition. The groups listed below should give the collector an idea of serial numbers ranges to be found within yearly production, viz. Whelen also took delivery of 100 rifles from John Miles during April-June 1800 for an order placed by Tench Francis in Feb of 1800 (hinting that he was Franciss agent and thus regularly inspected guns). We were only looking at serial numbers vs. lock dates to establish a yearly production timeline. Lewiss use of the term short rifle throughout the journal is the proper name applied to the new Harpers Ferry Rifle to differentiate it from the long rifle term (the M1792). This has been a consistent error found in ALL gun books and writings relating to this weapon. (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. If it did not meet expectations, another weapon was built until a satisfactory pattern weapon emerged from which production could begin. Dearborn informs Perkin: There being a deficiency of rifles in the public Arsenals, and those on hand not being as well calculated for actual service as could be wished. The Gumpf (Johan Christopher Gumpf 1760-1844) common long rifle pictured above meets all the criteria for an M1792 contract rifle and, with its added inspector cartouche is probably the closest example we will ever get to a true 1792/94 contract rifle. Lewis held Colter in high esteem, and he was well known among his peers as an honest and truthful man, adding credence to his encounter and story of survival. Trade guns, with their octagon breech and round barrels were prone to burst at the muzzle if overcharged. It is believed that the Model 1792 Contract Rifle was quite possibly the rifle issued to the Lewis & Clark expedition from the Harper's Ferry Arsenal for the Expedition of Discovery. 1803 dated rifles made before December of 1803 fall into this category. In addition, they practiced an Indian-file pace for movement when acting alone or detached from the main body, with the weapon carried in any suitable mode (they used no slings). It was these fiascos from private contractors that sent rifle production back to the arsenals. (21) The fact that he shot the rifles at the arsenal also hints that they were of a totally different design than the M1792 long rifle with which he was already well familiar. Th e Model 1800 rifle, using the SDS powder, met this requirement. This error came from measuring the bores of the rifle at the muzzle, not considering that the muzzle is swamped to allow insertion of the patched ball with the thumb. (3) Viz. Under Dearborn's direction, the war department issued an order for the new rifle on May 25, 1803. (What's with all these "Henrys"? We have learned a great deal about 1803 rifles. The arsenal produced nothing at that time requiring such sheet brass. The need for these rifles was so urgent that all guns were accepted despite many shortcomings, regardless if they were shipped directly to the troops or to an arsenal. From the 18 May 1803 requisition receipt Lewis received from the arsenal, First of which is an 1807 watercolor by C.B.J. While this may be true, the The condition of the rifle indicates very hard, long use. Adopted in 1803, this premier rifle (and the only flintlock rifle) built by a national armory at Harpers Ferry was, as stated earlier, a handsome gun, measuring some 49" overall. Riflemen were taught the basic drills of Company and Battalion Drill but then left alone to act alone under their officers & NCOs. It meant that one person used a pattern piece of some sort to make them interchangeable. From September 12 to 15, 1862, Confederate forces under Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson besieged the 13,000-man garrison at Harpers Ferry resulting in the largest surrender of American troops until World War II.. How It Ended. They were unique as explained in the text, therefore only Lewiss 15 rifles would fall into this category. cit., Vol. This has been an error that has persisted since books were written on this subject. been issued to Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. Select an option Straight Maple 1/2 Stock (0-30% Curl - $90) Curly Maple 1/2 Stock Grd II (35-65% Curl - $105) Curly Maple 1/2 Stock Grd III (70-85% Curl - $150.) Napoleon reestablished peace with us in 1799. Long-Barreled Air Rifle. Rifles existed long before the 17th century, but were rarely used by military forces. Many, having survived the journey, died at the hands of the Indians in those endeavors. 36) Thus two reasons can be found in documents for the lengthening of the short rifle barrel but since it was not implemented until 1815, we believe, as stated previous, the desire to use DuPont rifle powder(FFFg) was more of an influence on the decision than any other reason. Land claims given to veterans of the Revolutionary War were in this new area, but the Indians were not ready to peacefully give up their ancient lands to encroachment. That his men had become expert shots is recorded in the journals as they held shooting contests with Indians along the way. These assembly numbers are found on almost every part of the gun and are important when checking the originality of any rifle. A wax plug was driven the full length of the barrel and then measured for the true size. Smiths footnote credits his list as being compiled from combined records and verified with the Chief of Ordnance entries. from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, produced these rifles. Not understanding this causes a lot of errors even in the most modern books on British muzzle loading rifles. Again, every part examined and described herein displays matching assembly numbers, confirming that the rifle is an original arsenal assembly and unaltered since 1803. Dearborn and Lewis worked very closely on preparations for the expedition. Lower photo: 1803 dated rifle SN 15 with its straight pipe. The backwoodsmen of the western frontier, place the ball in the palm of their left hand, and cupping the hand as much as possible, cover the ball with powder, and make that their charge, The ball should be just of that size to rest on the grooves, and require not much trouble to force it down, but yet to pass without being forced. C. In the 1950s, when gun collecting became big, many were converted back to flint. Owned by Leon Budginas of Salt Lake City, Utah, it traces its origin back 35 years to a St. Louis Antique shop, where ironically the expeditions surviving arms and equipment were sold at public auction upon their return. Dearborn's letter specifies in great detail the type of rifle the armory Extra Parts of Locks and Tools for Repairing Arms, 15 Gun Slings, This will clarify why these rifles were totally unsuitable for Lewiss needs. Some believe that the contract rifles Lewis had modified for the expedition Americans along the Mississippi, especially the new State of Kentucky, were furious and the United States overtly began preparations for war (saber rattling) over this issue in early 1803. [3] He points to a "US" stamp on the barrel of a weapon known to have been a contract rifle. Confederate Victory. (Hicks, op. The short rifle was working on the extreme edge of the maximum pressure an iron barrel of 1800 could withstand. Perhaps some of the journals were lost. Two original guns have surfaced that are probably authentic to Lewis and Clark's journey, though the Lewis and Clark gun were likely prototypes. Amos Stoddards Artillery Company dated February 24, 1803 states that their arms were in tolerable order, old and incomplete, and noting that ..Ball Screwdrivers, Brushes Prickers and Gunslings wanting. cit./Table D) The totals agree from two different sources, giving credibility to 4,015 total production. Lewis knew that much time was going to be spent in canoes, and that the hunters would be shooting buffalo, elk, bears and other large game. When that supply was exhausted, they went to the round-bottom rifling with 36 barrel for reasons also explained in the story. The original sight on SN 15 still had blueing on the underside. (19) George D. Moller, American Military Shoulder Arms, Volume 2/ From the 1790s to the end of the Flintlock Period, (University Press of Colorado, 1993), Pg. All these early 1803 rifles have had the other two December 1803 changes applied flat sight and the stock ferrule. 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. After Lewis departed Harpers Ferry in July of 1803 with his 15 Model 1800 rifles, the arsenal began tooling up for full production of the military version. Since few people understand these rifles, their origins and how to identify them, we decided to cover them briefly. After studying so many, one cannot help but appreciate the hand craftsmanship and beauty of these rifles that continued through 1819. (26)(24), Clark writes of the same event: The Guns of Sergt. He was the first arms writer to recognize the glaring errors in Bomfords reports and the first to use the correct Model 1800 Rifle designation. Gunsmiths from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, produced these. It required the building of firearms for testing purposes. 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). 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. Could serial number 15 have been the rifle that he initially took with him? Upper photo: 1804 rifle SN 909 made after December,1803 changes . The term loaded for bear came from the practice of double charging rifles. The fact that President Jefferson thought mastodons might still roam these regions tells us just how little we knew of this vast wilderness and its people. While preparing for the trip Meriwether Lewis stopped at Harper's Ferry to get more firearms from the government arsenal there. 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. Front sight was a silver blade instead of brass found on all rifles produced after his special 15 rifles. 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. The next day he reset the sights and regulated the gun. military service. Perkin and several other armorers created several patterns from Dearborn's instructions, and in November 1803 these . (46) These two items put the slings into perspective all would be needed to fully equip the 15 additional men he would recruit at the various frontier posts carrying muskets with bayonets, a formidable weapon for defense. If we take a closer look at riflemen of the period, knowing Lewiss secret gathering of supplies for a larger exploring party than first projected, the journals themselves and the structural aspect of the rifle, this theory can be dispelled. We believe this was done to handle DuPonts new domestic rifle powder introduced in 1807 and called FFFg by 1808. It was a tremendous job, but as time would tell, he proved himself capable of the task, which led to a position of great power and earned him the absolute trust and confidence of Secretary of War, Henry Dearborn. The octagon barrel of the 1792 long rifles could never suffered a 13% failure rate at the muzzle (or any other area), completely ruling out that type of firearm. An entry of April 12, 1806 just might confirm this We caused all the men who had short rifles to carry them, in order to be prepared for the nativs should they make attempts to rob or injure them. 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. Considering the emergency under which these rifles were ordered, they probably were NOT budgeted for 1803. At Harpers Ferry, Captain Meriwether Lewis obtained 15 rifles built under contract for the United States Army in 1792 and 1794. Dearborns December 5th, 1803 letter is a prime example of a single document proving the invalidity of Bomfords calculations. transcontinental water route to the Pacific Ocean through the To fully understand the role this rifle played in our military history, one must also understand the times in which it appeared. (See Appendix II). Model 1792 riflemans horn(our desination). That answer emerges clearly if we put the smaller pieces of the puzzle into one large finished picture. 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.

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