1792 harpers ferry rifle

The date of this passage and the use of the term short rifles is very important since it is still before any rifles were shortened by Shields. Many historians believe that Lewis and Clark traveled west with these . Asspecified by Knox the bore is .49 caliber, tumbler has a fly with set triggers, barrel length is 44-1/2 and barrel mounted with lateral keys. 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. The J.J. Henry rifle was a working man's rifle, built in a couple of patterns the English, which resembled an English military arm, and the Lancaster style. cit., pg. In many instances they were free from the normal camp and fatigue duties of the common soldier and were encouraged to practice with their rifles as often as possible. 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. Dearborn makes no comment of interchangeability of locks for the military rifles, making this feature unique to Lewiss fifteen rifles. Standardization of calibers was something Lewis certainly calculated when settling on only two types of weapons muskets and short rifles, requiring only two caliber balls. The charm of period grammar and spelling of the journals remains unaltered when possible. 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. The fact that Lewis took 15 extra locks for his rifles is rather amazing. newly-acquired territory, where they encountered exotic lands, This is respectable shooting for a rifleman using the 1803 rifle. (See Appendix II). * Table of Contents, Chapter I The Lewis & Clark Short Rifle, Chapter II Harpers Ferry and the Model 1800 rifle, Chapter III Harpers Ferry Rifle Serial Number 15, Chapter IV Harpers Ferry Rifle Production Capabilities, Chapter V The Short Rifle of the Journals, Chapter VI Lewiss Short Rifles Summary, Chapter VIII The Common Long Rifle, Appendix I Short Rifle Categories Redefined, Appendix II Short Rifle Serial Numbers. [1] The rifles were to be delivered in units of 100 as quickly as possible. Some believe that the contract rifles Lewis had modified for the expedition This is explained in detail in the story. United States 1792 contract rifles are Pennsylvania-Kentucky rifles with a 42-inch long octagonal barrel in .49 caliber, with a patch box built into the buttstock. 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. Barrel profiles were round at the breech for all 1803 dated rifles. Even if Bomford is incorrect in his yearly production figures, the total production of 4015 (not including pattern rifle) would be unchanged. Model 1792 riflemans horn(our desination). Trade guns, with their octagon breech and round barrels were prone to burst at the muzzle if overcharged. (Hicks, op. Although not clear in the photo, his rifles mounted a silver blade front sight commonly found on civilian long rifles of the period. It, being suitable for priming also, speeds up the loading process. Don is a wealth of knowledge, and his kits are top quality. Lewis and Clark maintained a detailed journal of western geography, He immediately went to work for John Strode, manager of Rappahannock Forge in Virginia where he became renowned for his gunlock skills. They practiced a pace of 90 to 100 (24 step) Vs. the 76 of the Infantry. All subsequent rifles had brass blade front sights. Also, of interest is that the 8 pounds of lead in each cannister would cast 220 .520 calibre balls (using the 218 grains per ball figure) and the 4 pounds of powder would make 220 100-grain charges (10 for priming, 90 in the chamber). All British military weapons used one of these three calibre balls to make supply of ammunition practical. *********************************************************************** 1804 dated rifles, 373 (U) Buffalo New York History Museum, 708 (C) (Lowest confirmed rifle), 909 (C) (highest confirmed 1804 rifle). 42-inch barrel that featured a patch-box with a push-button release. From our experience and with the list above, we know that 1803 production may be as high as 567 (unconfirmed). Various spellings of his name are recorded. It is also of note that they were not required to use the maximum charge and that a reduced load would often perform better. Plains Indians also removed butt plates to use as hide scrappers. This article is dedicated to him and his intrepid party as well as the Native Americans who assisted him along the way, without whose help the outcome may have been quite different. Rather than be dependent upon British SDS powder, around which the 33 barreled Model 1803 rifle was designed, the new rifle of 1814, with an increase in 1815 to a 36 barrel, could now use the slightly less powerful French formula DuPont rifle powder. [1], In January 1792, U.S. Secretary of War Henry Knox authorized former General Edward Hand to contract with manufacturers for the rifles. The same technology of SDS powder that made these rifles possible was adopted for our first military short rifle. The butt plate is of two-piece construction indicating hand fabrication before a mold was made to cast them for full military rifle production. But some say that a one third of the weight of the ball is not too much; experience shows that to shoot at 250 to 300 yards, one fourth or a fifth is enough. The above lists are as accurate a yearly production record we can hope to reconstruct based upon known rifles instead of conflicting documents. The ramrod pipe begins to gain a very distinctive upper pipe flair toward the end of the contract. Workmanship varied considerably from poor to professional, however, each gun WILL give up its secrets if disassembled and studied in detail. Whelan may have also been the inspector for Tench Francis, Purveyor of Public Stores from 1795-1800. 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. After the official adoption of the rifle and its new nomenclature, both long rifle and short rifle begin to appear in inventory records. (1) The design (patterning) of new weapons at this time could be a slow process, identical to the British methods and done without drawings. Joseph Perkin inspected ALL 1803 dated rifles and some of the early 1804 production, then James Stubblefield took over final inspection to the end of all production in 1819. One truth remains our riflemen did things with their weapons that awed those who observed. A second contract rifle has been identified, the 1807 Contract Rifle, which has different specifications than the weapons of 1792 and 1794. 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. The U.S. Army's acknowledges that there were 300 of the 1792 or 1794 contract . TYPE III Military rifles produced after Dearborns December,1803 changes to include new style sight, stock reinforcing band and slightly flared upper pipe. Lewiss careful preparation for the journey was incredible. It is both significant and fortunate that Perkin had some of the best gunsmiths and artisans available for Lewiss project, many of whom already were, or would become, noted gunsmiths in their own rights. 567. A wax plug was driven the full length of the barrel and then measured for the true size. Under Dearborn's direction, the war department issued an order for the new rifle on May 25, 1803. The Harper's Ferry Rifle With stocks of the 1792 Contract Rifle (see above) growing pretty thin, and the musket revealing the weaknesses in its maximum 75-yard range for aimed shots, the. The remaining 460 rifles of the first contract remained in store in Schuylkill Arsenal in Philadelphia and eventually augmented by those from the second contract. Just for a matter of information, U.S. arsenals were also using the French metric thread system on the short rifle screws simply because we copied a Charleville type musket in 1795. 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. 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. From our experience the ribs probably separated from the barrel during hard field use. 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. The full 90-grain charge had excessive recoil and did not group quite as well (but all stayed on the black). This all gets confusing when using British and French documents for research and reference. It was obvious that we were copying a British style weapon when designing the new M1800 rifles. 75-76. The original sight on SN 15 still had blueing on the underside. The closest powder on todays market equal to the 18th century SDS is Schuetzen black powder. Another remarkable letter exists from Secretary Dearborn to Superintendent Perkin dated May 25, 1803. 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. A second contract for the same weapon took place in 1794. 9. Also, IBID, May/June 2016 story on Colter. The disassembly of these rifles and examination of the assembly numbers, viz. 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. This has been a consistent error found in ALL gun books and writings relating to this weapon. One explanation for this attitude could have been Frances desire to attach the sale of the port to the entire Louisiana Territory. We can choose to cling to the past but to do so is an injustice to historians and collectors who want the truth. Dearborns May 1803 order for 2,000 rifles was in direct response to an Oct 16, 1802 act by Spain revoking the American right of deposit in New Orleans. Note the slightly flared pipe. [2] What distinguishes them from civilian rifles is that they were bought by the government under military contract. the type procured. Since they had almost 4 months, it would have been an easy task even with interchangeable locks.(20). It was caused by measuring across the muzzle of the rifle where it is swamped (tapered) to allowed a ball to be started into the muzzle with the thumb a characteristic found on our early long rifles but most adopted from British Pattern 76 rifle that was undoubtedly examined during the initial design phases of out M1800 rifle. We also have found, by serial number and 1803 dated locks, that as many as 700 rifles were made in that year. Could it have been one of the rifles that were shortened and given to the Indians? Hopefully more confirmed (C) 1803 dated rifles can be found and examined. 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. Each new writer simply took the word of a previous author without checking for themselves. Lt. Col. George Bomfords calculations were made in 1822 with an 1848 supplement. He shows up on the Lancaster County tax lists for 1785-1840. Lewiss task was to explore and map this region as well as collect unknown flora and fauna. The first rifles made at Harpers Ferry reflect the popular American design of the Pennsylvania and Kentucky rifles. In such situations, a small group of well-trained riflemen would cause considerable demoralization and casualties within any grouped enemy ranks. These weapons also. There is really no mystery as to the type of rifles Lewis took for his expedition. If any gun could talk, this would be the one that would tell some great stories. Some locks were marked on the edges with straight cut lines. It is important to note that we only bought the rights to legally acquire full ownership from the inhabitants of the territory. [1] He told Hand that the contract was for 500 rifles, but that he was willing to extend it to 1,000. When that supply was exhausted, they went to the round-bottom rifling with 36 barrel for reasons also explained in the story. 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. Under pressure to deliver the guns, it is no wonder the final product varied considerably in caliber and barrel length. Our first Handbook for Riflemen, by William Duane, 1812. (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. from Lewis to Jefferson, it appears that Lewis had the arsenal shorten They now gave away the second shorten rifle cut down by Shields. Th e Model 1800 rifle, using the SDS powder, met this requirement. Upper photo: 1804 rifle SN 909 made after December,1803 changes . If the lock, stock and barrel match, the rest is probably good since all were hand built and components are not interchangeable. Straight upper ramrod thimble on SN 15. By that time, Lewis and Clark were leaving The term loaded for bear came from the practice of double charging rifles. It is easy to see the need for assembly marks on every part of the rifle, even down to the ramrod. This list, with its confirmed serial numbers and lock dates, produces a relatively good chart to judge the authenticity of any rifles made between 1803-1806. Second is Lewiss acquisition of 15 slings of unspecified type taken from Harpers Ferry. If fired (used) it will display slight erosion around the bushing. The arsenal had no part in the 1792/94 contract rifles and none were ever stored there. I have such convincing proof of the advantage the short rifle has over the long ones (commonly used) in actual service as to leave no doubt in my mind of preferring the short rifle, with larger Calibers than the long ones usually have and with stiff steel ramrods instead of wooden ones the great facility which such rifles afford in charging, in addition to their being less liable to become foul by firing, gives a decided advantage to an equal skill and dexterity over those armed with the common long rifle.(13). 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. 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). It was far superior to the previous long rifle that was unwieldy for his various modes of travel and varied in calibers, requiring each rifle to have its own bullet mold and powder charge. Ernie said to me we will build them but only if you are sure that is what they used. My photos are crummy. mention the specific type of weapon Lewis obtained. This would have required the application of an external (as now being applied to all guns) to denote their serviceability. (21) Jackson, op. 53. Set 50 minie' bullets 46.10 Reproduction and sale of historical muzzle-loading and breech-loading guns. The rifles taken on the expedition are repeatedly referred to as "short rifles". 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. these 1803 rifles was finished. Lewis, July 1, 1806 ..set Shields at work to repair some of our guns which were out of order . One thing to note on new rifles, all screw slots will point to the muzzle (horizontal with the rifle) when tightened, especially on the patch box. The first contract was issued January 13,1792, requesting 44-1/2 barrels with 45 balls to the pound (.47 caliber bore). It gives a sense of the give and take of opinion as to what is fact. His apparent diligence in gun matters won him a position of supervisor of New London Arsenal in 1792. Lewis specifically notes that it was Windsors shortened rifle that was traded for the longer short rifle, a fact confirmed by Clarks entry. One such shooting incident recorded by Lewis on May 12,1806 is worthy of mention when his men struck the mark with 2 balls. 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. Only military horns have wood screw type base plugs as shown below. Rifles made after the DEC 1803 changes have a squared side profile barleycorn sight. Arsenal inspection of weapons prior to release was ordered to begin in the 1797-98 period. cit./Table D) The totals agree from two different sources, giving credibility to 4,015 total production. Whelan seems to be associated with Schuylkill arsenal where some of the 1792/4 contract guns were sent. ((24)(19) From personal experience (working for the government), the same practice of delayed production reporting to meet budgeting constraints continues today within government production facilities. Slings were never a part of the American rifleman culture in the 18th and 19th century for a good reason they got in the way when stalking game and they snag on equipment when traveling on horseback or in canoes. 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. Most long rifles will shoot well with a charge slightly greater than the ball diameter viz. The Model 1795 was produced in about 85,000 units until 1814. For decades arms writers have tried to explain away the many inconsistencies in his numbers on other types of early Harpers Ferry arms without challenging them, perpetuating our belief that his records are not the gospel on the subject. His rifle was never unloaded and always carried at the trail or advance on his right side. This was all prompted by our shaky relations with France over their ongoing conflict with England (with who we continued trade after a 1794 treaty, which France claimed violated their 1778 Alliance with us) that came to a head with the XYZ Affair of 1798 when France insulted our delegates. 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. 10 & Pg. D, British Military Flintlock Rifles/ 1740-1840, Andrew Mobray Inc, 2002, Pg. 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. rivers, animals, and peoples. Joseph Perkin, superintendent of the Harpers Ferry Arsenal, Henry Dearborn, Secretary of War, and Meriwether Lewis are the principal players in this story. (10) Stephen E. Ambrose, Undaunted Courage, (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Pg. In this manner they were able to produce the much-needed rifles in the remarkably short time allotted. Issues continued to various states until an inventory of February,1805 showed only 5 serviceable and 94 unserviceable rifles in stores, indicating that some sort of inspection had been done to separate them (and so marked by the inspector since). 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). In 1792, Congress authorized the building of two national arsenals for the storage of arms and, in 1794, provided funds for the building of two armories for the manufacture of small arms. This is a Don Stith kit build which represents a'1792 contract rifle', that was re-locked at a later date, and purportedly carried bt Lewis and Clark. At Harpers Ferry, Captain Meriwether Lewis obtained 15 rifles built under contract for the United States Army in 1792 and 1794. 337, 347 & Appendix 5. Fifteen Harpers Ferry Model 1792 rifles are believed to have been issued to Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. Eleven different gunsmiths took the contract on, delivering 1,476 rifles between April 1792 and December 1792. They were so special that Harpers Ferry built the militarys first sniper rifle in 1814 specifically for the best of these men as the force was increased. The arsenal produced nothing at that time requiring such sheet brass. only one rifle in stock the 1792 / 1794 model. 26), for delivering 100 guns on the 1792 military contracts. Overcharging was common practice in those days, especially by Indians who were unaware of the effects of such heavy charges. The most convincing evidence of the use of the new Model 1800 short rifle on the Voyage of Discovery comes from entries in the various journals kept on the expedition by Lewis, Clark, and his Sergeants. 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. This was slightly over a month after his initial visit and tells us that Perkin was in the process of making Lewiss rifles (along with the other items mentioned) a full month before receiving the military contract. *SN 359 is a good place to end for Pre-December,1803 manufactured rifles. Dies had not yet been made to make the one-piece stamping. 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. Sometimes, the pre-December,1803 production rifle sights were simply filed down flat but retained the outer rounded profile of the original buckhorn sight. 1803 dated rifles made before December of 1803 fall into this category. Additionally, Lewis purchased replacement 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. His first known mention of the short rifle is in March of 1806. The more detailed information we can gather on 1803-06 rifles will help immensely. (37), The short rifle was Americas first experiment with fine powders and high pressures. It will match the other assembly numbers found on the stock and barrel. We can learn a lot about our early riflemen from this manual. US Contract Rifles 1792 & 1807 1800 US Short Rifle (Lewis and Clark Rifle) (935) 1803 - 1819 Harpers Ferry Rifles (500 A) (500 B) (500 C) History, Facts and Descriptions of 1803 Harpers Ferry Rifles 1814 Common Rifle (516 A) 1817 Common Rifle (516 B) US Common Rifle Cleaning Set (537) The first observation of this document is the amazing detail of the rifle, right down to actual measurements. 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. Our ongoing study turned up a quantity of rifles that were unquestionably made in 1803 and bear some unique characteristics to prove that point.
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