. It is also possible that contract rifles of 1794 were modified at the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, by shortening the barrels and reboring and rerifling them to .54 caliber. It is interesting to note that the ball was to be loaded with ease. In one incident, a rifleman left his tomahawk at a previous campsite and Lewis sent him back to retrieve it. (28), Here even Moulton, probably the nations best versed scholar on the journey, makes a footnote that Ordway is specifically referring to a Model 1803 rifle. If an itemized list of goods sold at auction in St. Louis (September 23, 1806) could be located, we would know how exactly how many rifles were sold, giving us the number kept by members. Our ongoing study turned up a quantity of rifles that were unquestionably made in 1803 and bear some unique characteristics to prove that point. 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. After that date they were altered to the flat profile partridge sight. DuPont rifle powder (FFFg) made its appearance in the market in 1808, probably at the request of the U.S. Government since it is the same year the first rifle regiment was raised. Thus, you rarely (if ever) see a sling on a long rifle. Each rifle was still an individually produced weapon with no interchangeability of parts. All second contract guns were delivered by November of 1794. Use and wear quickly changes this. climate, plants and animals, and the customs and languages of 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. Perkins was known as an expert lock filer and may have done them personally. It was obvious that we were copying a British style weapon when designing the new M1800 rifles. This new rifle would also use the same SDS powder that the British adopted for their series of rifles shipped over for use in the American Revolution.(3). rifles were manufactured at Harpers Ferry and the rifles and extra parts were made all interchangeable. It must also be remembered that riflemen of the period did not use slings and thus were never a part of their accouterments. he ordered Perkin to produce similar ones for the entire Army. The U.S. Army's acknowledges that there were 300 of the 1792 or 1794 contract . (10) Stephen E. Ambrose, Undaunted Courage, (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Pg. This rifle will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter III and in the footnotes . Dearborn undoubtedly had a new Model 1800 in his hands in order to make the above changes. From 1796-1800, a number (332) of 1792 rifles were loaned to the Indian Department from storage at Schuylkill Arsenal In Philadelphia. 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. (17) Many collectors contributed information on existing military contract short rifles in the 1803 & 1804 range. 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. At 200 yards we could keep all shots on a man size silhouette. 1792/1794 Lewis and Clark Contract Rifle This RECREATED EXPEDITION RIFLE has been crafted based on the careful study of the five presently-known surviving examples (two of which are signed by Jacob Dickert) of the U.S. "Publick" Rifles in stores at Harpers Perry when Meriwether Lewis arrived in 1803. It gives a sense of the give and take of opinion as to what is fact. with the short rifles Lewis had the armory make for the expedition that 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. It was there that he became fast friends with his new commander during their short time together. He had been part of the militia that put down the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. Above is a 10-shot group at 65 yards with Rifle SN 1, using 65 grains of SDS powder, 6 bulls-eye. The original example was unearthed in Ohio on a camp site occupied by Waynes Legions. This weapon was the first rifle built the US Armory at Harpers Ferry. transcontinental water route to the Pacific Ocean through the Plains Indians also removed butt plates to use as hide scrappers. Could serial number 15 have been the rifle that he initially took with him? 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. 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). He brought with him 15 of his most highly-skilled workmen. Pryor were both out of order. (50) On August 6, 1805, Lewiss air rifle had the sights knocked off by an accident with the canoes rolling over. All subsequent rifles had brass blade front sights. All military production 1803-1806 rifles have the heptagonal flat bottom rifling (Dearborns special rifling reference). With that threat over, the American rifle battalions were dropped in the May 4, 1800 Army reorganization. Lewiss men probably exercised this prerogative, especially the Kentuckians who grew up with a rifle in their hands. After examining a prototype rifle, he gave approval on February 4th, 1792 for the first small arm designed specifically for the Army of the United States. 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. How could his records be so inaccurate? After the official adoption of the rifle and its new nomenclature, both long rifle and short rifle begin to appear in inventory records. Front sight was a silver blade instead of brass found on all rifles produced after his special 15 rifles. In fact, rivers, animals, and peoples. President Jefferson would not have left Lewis in the dark about the upcoming deal with France. and Don Stith and represents a replica crafted on the features of the Harpers Ferry Arsenal Joseph Perkin, and the 8 July 1803 letter So if Getz was marking his guns as an inspector, Whelan probably adopted his initials IW in a cartouche to denote his work. is to manufacture. [2], Before their exploratory trip, the Lewis and Clark Expedition obtained rifles from the Harper's Ferry Arsenal. This pipe could not be changed for reasons explained in the text. 9, Pg. At that time it had no lock. A second contract rifle has been identified, the 1807 Contract Rifle, which has different specifications than the weapons of 1792 and 1794. It is easy to see the need for assembly marks on every part of the rifle, even down to the ramrod. Led by Jefferson's secretary, Meriwether Lewis, Also, of interest on the gunpowder side of the short rifle story is that in 1815 Chief of Ordnance Colonel Wadsworth recommended the barrel of the Model 1803 rifle lengthened to 36 inches in order to more effectively burn the service charge of 100 grains. 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. A letter from Secretary Dearborn, written on Lewiss behalf and addressed to Arsenal Superintendent Perkin, dated March 14, 1803 states You will be pleased to make such arms & iron work, as requested by the Bearer Captain Meriwether Lewis and to have them completed with the least possible delay.(8). We were only looking at serial numbers vs. lock dates to establish a yearly production timeline. It is a hammer poll type with a large US marking. Unfortunately when Ernie passed away in 2018 I lost a lot of photos of this rifle. TYPE III Military rifles produced after Dearborns December,1803 changes to include new style sight, stock reinforcing band and slightly flared upper pipe. These assembly numbers are found on almost every part of the gun and are important when checking the originality of any rifle. 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. Original 32-1/2 inch barrel with 16 groove rifling. 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. For two centuries the distinctive half-stocked rifle manufactured at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), has been regarded as perhaps the most handsome and historically important U.S. military long arm ever designed. Each rifle is unique, especially when fitting the lock. . Patrick Gasss published journal. Lighter charges also meant conservation of valuable powder. Build Track's 1792 Contract flintlock longrifleparts set, with 15/16" octagon barrel in .50, or .54 caliber Total: $816.82 Barrel: 1 - [BBL-50-C-42] Barrel, .50 caliber, 15/16" octagon, 42", 1-66" twist, 6.2 lb, crowned, 3/4-16 thread for breech plug, made in the U.S.A. [$225.00] Conversions to percussion and reconversions back to flint was not a factor in this study. (44) A thorough inspection of this early Model 1800 rifle revealed that all assembly numbers matched, making it a very important gun for both the collector and the historian. These weights probably varied due to the purity of the lead of that period. ", 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. It also has a button release for the patch-box (as specified in the contract) under the toe plate where it might not get accidentally bumped), scant incised carving andmoderately engraved brass. This sealed the fact that for all these years the caliber for 1803-1819 rifles listed in gun books is wrong. their firearms and accessories: "1 Pair Pocket Pistols, 1 Pair a .45 caliber ball would shoot well with 45 grains of rifle powder. Henry Leman built a classic plains rifle, and Henry Deringer (of pocket pistol fame) also built sturdy rifles for the Fur Trade. Powder was too valuable on the frontier to waste. (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. A second contract for the same weapon took place in 1794. The Barrels of the rifles should not exceed two feet nine inches in length and should be calculated for carrying a ball of one thirtieth of a pound weight the barrels should be round from muzzle to within 10 inches of the Britch and not of an unnecessary thickness especially in the round part the stock should not extend further than the tail pipe, from thence to within 3 of the muzzle, an iron rib should be substituted for that part of the stock the ramrod should be of Steel and sufficiently strong for forcing down the ball without binding. The short rifle, in any form, could not mount a sling without an addition barrel lug for support, so we know for sure the 1800/03 series of rifles were never intended for use of a sling. 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. Tench Coxe was Commissioner of the Treasury Departments revenue office from April,1794 to December,1794. Old manuals on the rifles list a 218 to 219 grain ball. Washington, DC; GPO, 1903). Lock fitting was so critical that Harpers Ferry locks have assembly numbers (forward of the pan on the narrow edge of the lock in Roman Numerals) to keep it with the rifle to which it was fitted. See Muzzleloader Magazine, The Class of 06, by Alex Miller September, October, November & December, 2006. Rifles made after the DEC 1803 changes have a squared side profile barleycorn sight. This is also is true for the series of common rifles. What was expected of these men and their training with rifles is worthy of quoting from the original 1812 dated manual: He must be taught to fire at a target without a rest, for if he accustoms himself to fire without a support, he will rarely fire true without one; but as this method will be rendered easy by practice, he should begin by firing at fifty yards distance, and increase it by degrees to 100, 150, 200 and 300 yards. 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. Congress appropriated the been issued to Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. This is another fact we uncovered in our research that confirms his production records are incorrect. 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. Lewis quietly went about gathering his supplies for his small party of men so as not to expose the real size of the expedition about 30 men, all under Army authority and pay.(6). Use of solid rib also begins with all military rifles. Fifteen Harpers Ferry Model 1792 rifles are believed to have been issued to Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. It lays to rest any notion that the term short rifle used prior to or after July 2, 1806 was referring any type of cut down long rifles since both cut rifles disappear into history in the hands of two Indian guides. This 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. 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. TYPE I Lewis and Clark contract rifles (M1800 only) made specifically for their expedition. Rifles existed long before the 17th century, but were rarely used by military forces. ((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.
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