1792 harpers ferry rifle

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. 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. In 1807-1808, Colter explored over 500 miles of new country with only a rifle and a 30-pound pack, including the wonders of Yellowstone Park. 100). After 200 years of error, it is time to set the record straight. These actions undoubtedly brought to conclusion the desired purchase of the entire Louisiana territory, to include New Orleans, in April,1803, averting a war which neither Spain nor France knew they could win. we found twenty-seven of the best rifle powder, 4 of common rifle, three of glaized, and one of the musqut powder in good order, perfectly as dry as when first put in the canesters these cannesters contain four lbs. Guns of Lewis and Clark - Buffalo Bill Center of the West Lewis arrived in April 1803. (48). 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. 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. It is agreed that they followed the same basic shop patterns used for their civilian market. 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. Since few people understand these rifles, their origins and how to identify them, we decided to cover them briefly. Like the early muskets, craftsmen produced the various parts of this rifle by hand. Also, ALL 1803 and some early 1804 rifles carry Joseph Perkins inspector cartouche IP in a circle. From reading Dearborn's letter, Both men were aware that not only was there no weapon in our arsenal in 1800 to meet the need, but, due to the limitations of interchangeability of gun parts in their day, the ONLY way this requirement could be met was to build 15 locks with very strict tolerances rules out the retrofitting of locks to a finished rifle. 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 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. 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 highly skilled work force was in place when Lewis arrived on the scene in March of 1803. You will note from our list the lock dates on some guns do not fit into serial number ranges indicating a replaced lock. 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. rivers, animals, and peoples. We had access to a large selection of rifles in various collections, many of which still had excellent bores. Perkin and several other armorers created several patterns from Dearborn's instructions, and in November 1803 these . 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). and fit them with new locks. (40), Lewis now has in his hands, at the minimum, 108 pounds of best rifle powder, more than enough to retrace his footsteps again. We hope this article will put to rest the mystery of what type of short rifle was carried on the expedition. That shows I came into this project with no preconceived notions as to what they used. It was these fiascos from private contractors that sent rifle production back to the arsenals. If we look at those preparations, we can easily see that he was equipping for a larger expedition than approved by Congress. Also shown is probably the type of powder horn issued with the axe to his men. Congress appropriated the As it progresses it will become obvious as to which lock plate dates belong which guns by serial number blocks. cit., Vol 1, Pgs. their firearms and accessories: "1 Pair Pocket Pistols, 1 Pair Throughout this article, to avoid confusion, we use caliber for bore size and calibre for ball size (as the French did in their early writings).(14). Harpers Ferry Rifles for sale - Guns International Set 50 minie' bullets 46.10 Reproduction and sale of historical muzzle-loading and breech-loading guns. TYPE III Military rifles produced after Dearborns December,1803 changes to include new style sight, stock reinforcing band and slightly flared upper pipe. He published an interesting table Appendix E on page 169, based upon two sets of 19th century bore gauges in the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers Proof House in London. The fiscal year 1804 was the same as the calendar year until 1838, so storekeeper production reporting of new weapons built in 1803 may simply be the result of Harpers Ferry exceeding their new production budget for the year 1803, forcing them to delay production reporting until fiscal year 1804. Overall weights and lengths vary on the 1803-1806 series of rifles. Lewiss careful preparation for the journey was incredible. Dearborn undoubtedly had a new Model 1800 in his hands in order to make the above changes. As for the change to a solid rib while making the barrels of our guns with hollow rib, we had one release from the gun while mounting the sight, so we know why they changed to a solid rib to strengthen the rib bond with a larger (stronger) adhering surface. It is interesting to note that those guns were marked with a U.S. on the top flat of the barrel and carry a P and C inspector mark. Almost all first contract rifles (1792) found their way into the hands of Waynes Legion and state troops between June and August at Fort Pitt. One explanation for this attitude could have been Frances desire to attach the sale of the port to the entire Louisiana Territory. These rifles are identical to M1803 second type III but WITHOUT serial numbers. Sawyer says it best: From time to time attempts have been made by army officers and others to reproduce the Harpers Ferry records from fragmentary outside sources and compile tables of the arms made there in the first quarter of the 19th century. Colter joined their party and led them to the Yellowstone Valley. 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). 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). Considering the emergency under which these rifles were ordered, they probably were NOT budgeted for 1803. It was Coxe (for whom Whelan worked) who placed an order for 1000 of the 1794 rifles. Arsenal Superintendent Perkin was the ideal person to provide this interchangeability of locks due to his prior reputation for lock making at Rappahannock Forge in Virginia. A second contract rifle has been identified, the 1807 Contract Rifle, which has different specifications than the weapons of 1792 and 1794. It is believed that many of these rifles were Build Track's 1792 Contract flintlock longrifle parts set, with 15/16 It may have been removed to make brass jewelry of the day. Their report also described the nearly two rifles were manufactured at Harpers Ferry and the rifles and extra parts were made all interchangeable. Although not clear in the photo, his rifles mounted a silver blade front sight commonly found on civilian long rifles of the period. (Above two photos) M1792 original riflemans axe (top) and reconstructed M1792 axe with original M1792 horn below as we believe were carried by Lewiss 15 riflemen. Henry Rifle Lee Repeating Rifle Marlin Lever Actions Military Longarms Pre-1816 Muskets 1st Model Brown Bess 2nd & 3rd Model Brown Bess Muskets Charleville Musket M1803 and M1814 Rifles M1816 Musket M1817 Common Rifle M1835 US Musket Austrian CW Rifle M1841 US Rifle (Mississippi Rifle) M1842 Springfield Musket M1851 US Cadet and M1847 US Musketoon By the manual, a rifle regiment consisted of 1000 men formed into 10 companies of two battalions, each battalion containing 500 men (5 companies each). Flint - Dixie Gun Works In 1792 there was a need for rifles, and a contract was drawn up with Lancaster, Pennsylvania, gunsmiths to deliver rifles. In one incident, a rifleman left his tomahawk at a previous campsite and Lewis sent him back to retrieve it. found on the surviving examples. Rifles made after the DEC 1803 changes have a squared side profile barleycorn sight. [2], These military- or militia-issued rifles were of civilian style, and it has been very difficult for collectors to identify them from this contract. Pennsylvania gunsmiths produced these weapons, which were .49 caliber with a 42-inch barrel. The available inspectors of that period were very limited. He is credited in Arms Makers of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Woods & Whisker, Pg. In this process he was to make contact and befriend as many Indian tribes as possible who inhabited these areas with the intended goal of establishing trade relations that would allow peaceful expansion to the extreme western borders of the new United States. In the process of building 15 rifles of this prototype pattern, we discovered enough to change the entire Harpers Ferry rifle story, most importantly these rifles WERE built in quantity in 1803, Lewis did take the first 15 rifles produced on special order and that the rifle is .52 caliber (not .54 as found in all the books on guns) using a .520 calibre (ball size). One truth remains our riflemen did things with their weapons that awed those who observed. Sometimes, the pre-December,1803 production rifle sights were simply filed down flat but retained the outer rounded profile of the original buckhorn sight. The closest powder on todays market equal to the 18th century SDS is Schuetzen black powder. This leads to the conclusion that the arsenal had This was no doubt the prime reason Lewis wanted a better rifle of a single caliber. The Rifle Shoppe, Inc. - US Arms - US Contract Rifles The first rifles made at Harpers Ferry reflect the popular American design of the Pennsylvania and Kentucky rifles. 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. By 1802, Perkin had established a manufactory similar to that in Europe where each craftsman was responsible for a specific component part of the gun or its mounting. During the 1830s and . 21 . As mentioned previous (in the 1808 riflemans manual) it was normal practice to assign each man a firearm to become familiar with it and maintain it in good order. Entries in the Journals pertaining to the short rifles: Lewis: March 20,1806 The guns of Drewyer and Sergt. 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. Fifteen Harpers Ferry Model 1792 rifles are believed to have under contract for the United States Army in 1792 and 1794. It also proved that Lewiss short rifles mentioned in the journals were one and the same rifle. As Purveyor of Public Stores during the Lewis and Clark expedition, Whelan played a major role in obtaining supplies for Lewis as noted throughout Lewiss documents. Reference #2 & #9: There are 4 sun inserts on the stock, one in front of the patchbox, one on the cheek rest and one on each side of the forend stock. Ed Pugsley was an employee of Winchester and turned over much of his collection to the company. 46. An entry of October 22, 1800 Received of Israel Whalen, made by John Miles 58 Rifles complete (Indian Contract smooth bore guns). He confided in one of his associates that his primary reason for selling the entire territory was that the United States would encroach upon it and take it regardless of his desires to the contrary. 106-107. Springfield 1795 Rifles, replica Springfield 1795 Rifles - Davide Pedersoli Confederate Victory. Both armories also produced the Model 1842 percussion musket and Model 1855 percussion . sum of $2,500.00 to fund a small expeditionary group, known as the He also had the gunsmiths add swivels to these weapons, Private Willards mishap of letting his gun fall in while crossing Boyers river on a 25-foot log would not have occurred. About 5/8 has been removed from the muzzle of the barrel (perhaps it too had split). It also confirms one other very important detail even if the Army had NOT placed an order for rifles in 1803, Lewis would still have received his fifteen special rifles. John Shields, the man who fixed everything, including Lewiss airgun, returned to the Missouri to roam with Daniel Boone, a reputed relative. Above is a 10-shot group at 65 yards with Rifle SN 1, using 65 grains of SDS powder, 6 bulls-eye. It could be done, according to the manual, with a cartridge or loose powder from a horn and ball. May 2006, Vol 32, No.2, written my Jim Merritt from our research. 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. LEWIS AND CLARK SHORT RIFLE - Great War Militaria C. It also helps to know what you are looking for, so you must know what an original gun looked like. Another remarkable letter exists from Secretary Dearborn to Superintendent Perkin dated May 25, 1803. Lewis was also no stranger to the use of rifles. 98). Significantly, the requisition paperwork from Harpers Ferry does not 1803 half-stock Harpers Ferry rifle ordered by Henry Dearborn just weeks after Lewis' rifles were readied for the "Corps of Discovery." S PECIFICATIONS: Per instructions of Secretary of War Henry Knox in 1792, and as modified by Meriwether Lewis in 1803. . 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. type of weapon in stock, in which case it was not necessary to specify 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. 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. Guns produced before Dearborns changes of December 1803 used these pipe. 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. 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. Today, that same term would not apply to anything regarding a rifle. Some locks were marked on the edges with straight cut lines. (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. 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). We were only looking at serial numbers vs. lock dates to establish a yearly production timeline. Eleven different gunsmiths took the contract on, delivering 1,476 rifles between April 1792 and December 1792. 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. There is no mystery here, just very careful preparations for a long journey into a wilderness where no replacement equipment would be found. Various spellings of his name are recorded. Tench Coxe was Commissioner of the Treasury Departments revenue office from April,1794 to December,1794. (commonly used) in actual service". MODEL 1819 HARPERS FERRY CONVERTED TO PERCUSSION RIFLE. 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. All these early 1803 rifles have had the other two December 1803 changes applied flat sight and the stock ferrule. Moreover, Dearborn's (35) Garavaglia Worman, Firearms of the American West, (University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1984), Pg.9; Brown, op. They received special privileges and exclusion of normal camp duties. This rifle will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter III and in the footnotes . 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. 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). Shooting a copy of this rifle has proven this correct, giving well over 30 shots between cleaning. One thing we noticed in our research was the differences between weapons when laid alongside each other. Two original guns have surfaced that are probably authentic to Lewis and Clark's journey, though the Lewis and Clark gun were likely prototypes. 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. the Falls of the Ohio River, near Louisville, Kentucky. 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) Many people believe that without these two special arms it may not have succeeded. Expecting another conflict with England, it was a wise move to cut our dependence on British imported rifle powder. This all gets confusing when using British and French documents for research and reference. 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. Harpers Ferry Model 1803 - The US Army's First Rifle The first Hawkens were less stylized than later models and were Fullstocked. 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. Again, it is very important to recognize that Lewiss rifles had absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming 1803 military contract. The Model 1800-1819 series of rifles are one of the most tampered with rifles in the collecting world. They were often free to roam on the flanks and advance of an Army on the move, providing intelligence on the enemy. Riflemen were given great latitude in the loading and firing of their assigned weapon. 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". From the study of just Lewiss rifle (and other 1803 dated rifles we located) his records can conclusively be disputed. cit., pg. If we look at what Lewis took from Harpers Ferry, we can see he planned for exactly 30 men 15 with short rifles and 15 with muskets. letter to Perkin supports this, especially when Dearborn states that 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. The U.S. M1814 rifle was designed by Robert T. Wickham. Extra Parts of Locks and Tools for Repairing Arms, 15 Gun Slings, The ball size (calibre) used in ALL of the short rifle series is .520. 1054 (U) 1805 lock/ See Olson article, American Rifleman. This would have required the application of an external (as now being applied to all guns) to denote their serviceability. 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. (45) Robert J. Moore / Michael Haynes Lewis & Clarke/ Tailor Made, Trail Worn, Army Life, Clothing, & Weapons of the Corps of Discovery, (Farcountry Press, 2003), Pgs. Pryor & Drewyer were both out of order. It meant that one person used a pattern piece of some sort to make them interchangeable. [1] The 1792 contract specified rifles with a 44-1/2 inch long barrel in .47 caliber. The more detailed information we can gather on 1803-06 rifles will help immensely. Since the Army ordered only 4,000, the additional 15 were Lewiss rifles. Lewis and Clark. This will clarify why these rifles were totally unsuitable for Lewiss needs. 2682 (C) (highest number confirmed). 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. Morgans combined forces of riflemen went on to inflict great casualties among the British officers and artillerymen unfortunate enough to be caught in the open.(9). 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. 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. (2) We had no rifles to arm this new unit. It has also been generally agreed that a lot of imported (factory purchased) locks were used on these rifles to speed up the process. It would just load easier and probably had little effect upon accuracy. It was about this time we started giving talks on the short rifle and air gun as well as let a large audience shoot the air rifle at their National Convention. The Gumpf rifle was most likely one of the rifles made on this contract and sent directly to Schuylkill Arsenal. 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. Lewiss expedition was undoubtedly the most difficult test trial that a newly designed weapon could undergo. e-WV | Harpers Ferry Armory and Arsenal - wvencyclopedia.org While preparing for the trip Meriwether Lewis stopped at Harper's Ferry to get more firearms from the government arsenal there. It, being suitable for priming also, speeds up the loading process. He shows up on the Lancaster County tax lists for 1785-1840. (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. This was a literal blank check to use all resources to make Lewiss arms in time for the upcoming expedition. The use, or lack of use, of certain terminology in descriptions was intentional, all being proper for his day. Left 1804 dated rifle, 33 barrel with original 7 groove polygon rifling with flat land. A second contract for the same weapon took place in 1794. ", About Us | Contact Us | Join/Renew | Corporate Ethics | Privacy Policy, Theodore Roosevelt and Elegant Arms - 1880s to 1920s, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond - 1940 to Present, Frank Brownell NRA Museum of the Southwest, Serialization/ Date of Manufacture from The Blue Book, Store Brand Crossover List from The Blue Book, Gun Collector Organizations from The Blue Book. Could it have been one of the rifles that were shortened and given to the Indians? The only place a front sling swivel could be mounted was through the fragile front rib, which, being hollow on the first 15 rifles (based upon serial number 15 rifle), makes it incapable of bearing the weight of the rifle without an extra barrel mounted loop for this purpose. These are two important points to consider when looking for a REAL 1803 production rifle. The .520 calibre round ball also meets Dearborns specification for 30 balls to the pound. 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. ABOVE: The buckhorn style rear sight found on Lewiss 15 rifles and ALL pre-December, 1803 manufactured rifles. Under Dearborn's direction, the war department issued an order for the new rifle on May 25, 1803. From 1796-1800, a number (332) of 1792 rifles were loaned to the Indian Department from storage at Schuylkill Arsenal In Philadelphia. There is the possibility that a few rifles may exist with an 1807 lock but none have surfaced as of this writing. 33-35. The Secretary of War, Henry Knox began procuring rifles for the army. (Moulton, .op cit. That his men had become expert shots is recorded in the journals as they held shooting contests with Indians along the way. The lowest SN of an 1804 dated military rifle was 909 (confirmed) and the highest 1,520 (unconfirmed). 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.) (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. Workmanship varied considerably from poor to professional, however, each gun WILL give up its secrets if disassembled and studied in detail. 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. Documented cases of OCTAGON barrels bursting in any manner have yet to be encountered by the author. If it did not meet expectations, another weapon was built until a satisfactory pattern weapon emerged from which production could begin.

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