If the barrel of a .405 Winchester became plugged with mud or snow, the chances are it would suffer the same catastrophic fate as the 1800 rifles, despite the vast improvements in barrel material. IP stock cartouche in oval is for Joseph Perkins, final inspector of ALL 1803 dated rifles and some early production 1804 dated guns. The term short rifle, coined by Dearborn 1803 to make a distinction between it and the old pattern long rifles, appears throughout the journals kept by different members and it means just what it is was intended to mean the new Model 1800 rifle. They were often free to roam on the flanks and advance of an Army on the move, providing intelligence on the enemy. From our experience the ribs probably separated from the barrel during hard field use. From reading Dearborn's letter, All rifles that I have examined that come even close to a 1792/94 contract rifle have set triggers which was fairly common on all civilian long rifles of this period but not many with a fly. Hopefully more confirmed (C) 1803 dated rifles can be found and examined. Most long rifles will shoot well with a charge slightly greater than the ball diameter viz. So if Getz was marking his guns as an inspector, Whelan probably adopted his initials IW in a cartouche to denote his work. It is considered advisable to have a suitable number of judiciously constructed Rifles manufactured at the Armory under your direction. In correspondence with Dave Kennedy at Cody, Wyoming museum, the 1803 rifle SN 94 is attributed to the Pugsley Collection. One explanation for this attitude could have been Frances desire to attach the sale of the port to the entire Louisiana Territory. The front sight is also of German silver instead of the normal brass found on subsequent guns. How inspections were done before this time is unknown as well as any markings that may have been applied during the process. Guns of the Grunt: 1813 :: Guns.com Colter moved to Missouri, married and settled down near Daniel Boone at Dundee, Missouri, fathering one son. Before this weapon, the army focused primarily on muskets (smoothbore). 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.) During our research, we found no recorded instances of any octagon barrel ever bursting. In additional correspondence of February 4,1792, barrel lengths of 42 were requested with 40 balls to the pound (.49 caliber bore). cit., Pgs. Getz is known to have stamped an eagles head on Indian rifles he inspected in 1807. It could be done, according to the manual, with a cartridge or loose powder from a horn and ball. The groups listed below should give the collector an idea of serial numbers ranges to be found within yearly production, viz. [2], Before their exploratory trip, the Lewis and Clark Expedition obtained rifles from the Harper's Ferry Arsenal. Unfortunately, other listed 1803 dated rifles (U) from various collections, auctions and sales catalogs could not be examined in greater details for straight or flared upper pipe. 98. Surprisingly we found that this rifle had been known since 1996 but, due to its relic condition, had never been properly examined in detail. 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. Riflemen were taught the basic drills of Company and Battalion Drill but then left alone to act alone under their officers & NCOs. . In an arti- cle in a similar vein that Tait published in Man At Arms,4he stated that several hundred of the Contract rifles were known to have been stored at Harpers Ferry in 1803. Lewis arrived in April 1803. Perkin finished Lewiss Model 1800 rifles on schedule. 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. 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. 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. The Legion of the United States was authorized by Congress on October 24, 1791 after the defeat of General Arthur St. Claire by the Miami Indians in November of 1790. The lowest numbered 1803 dated military rifle examined and confirmed was SN 318, the highest number SN 844, but unconfirmed. 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. pairs of bullet molds, 15 wipers or gun worms, 15 ball screws, 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. From our experience and with the list above, we know that 1803 production may be as high as 567 (unconfirmed). This has been a consistent error found in ALL gun books and writings relating to this weapon. Also, IBID, May/June 2016 story on Colter. Lewis specifically notes that it was Windsors shortened rifle that was traded for the longer short rifle, a fact confirmed by Clarks entry. 100). *********************************************************************, Harpers Ferry rifle production capabilities. First of which is an 1807 watercolor by C.B.J. The one thing found on this rifle that we have never seen on ANY long rifle is a cartouche on the upper left barrel flat near the breech where military markings of any type are always placed, especially an inspector cartouche in this case IW in a sunken half circle placed in the same manner as the later Model 1803 barrel markings upside down so it can be viewed from the top looking down on the barrel. Above is a 10-shot group at 65 yards with Rifle SN 1, using 65 grains of SDS powder, 6 bulls-eye. 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. 21 . rifles were manufactured at Harpers Ferry and the rifles and extra parts were made all interchangeable. Fifteen Harpers Ferry Model 1792 rifles are believed to have been issued to Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. All anyone needs to do, for their own satisfaction, is to professionally check it out for themselves. We can choose to cling to the past but to do so is an injustice to historians and collectors who want the truth. 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. Dearborn had experience with rifles in the American Revolution. 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). 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. Again, it is very important to recognize that Lewiss rifles had absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming 1803 military contract. This Old Gun: U.S. Model 1803 Rifle - An Official Journal Of The NRA Has pictures. 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). Additionally, Lewis purchased replacement The barrel bursts recorded probably brought this about. They were eventually made by George Ludlam in Philadelphia, Pa. at a cost of $.50 each with the bill paid on May 23, 1803. It was the Model 1800 s tremendous muzzle energy that was the cause. By that time, Lewis and Clark were leaving BOTTOM: Half-stock fowler made by BARKER in the 1775-1785 period. Any student of early military firearms of this period of history needs his two-volume set in their library. (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. All 1803 dated military rifles examined had a solid rib and rounded bottom breech barrel profile. Measurements on everything varied. 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) (16) The common long rifle (M1792) did have one serious drawback that made it totally unsuitable for continued Army use the non-standardization of calibers. Once a rifle is built its lock is unique to that gun. We can only guess what happened to the patch box cover. (41) De Witt Bailey, Ph. Logic tells us that they would not have given up another full-length rifle when another cut one was available. 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] U.S. Harpers Ferry Model 1842 Percussion Musket - NRA Museum 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). 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. 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. Build Track's 1792 Contract flintlock longrifle parts set, with 15/16 It must also be remembered that riflemen of the period did not use slings and thus were never a part of their accouterments. 1803 firearm to be unveiled at 10th anniversary of - Missoulian ). The stock displays four sun shaped inlays filled with pine resin that can be seen in the above stock photos. In all actuality, they could not have left us better evidence regarding their use of the new short rifles soon to be part of the Army inventory.(50). Both men made sure that all short rifles would be readily available, being the most effective means of defending themselves should they be attacked. 351; Vol. 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. 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. The rib is of hollow construction instead of the solid type found on later military contract rifles (See Appendix I). (40), Lewis now has in his hands, at the minimum, 108 pounds of best rifle powder, more than enough to retrace his footsteps again. Just how accurate were their Model 1800 rifles? Listed in Mollers book is Israel Whelan, Purveyor of Public Stores (May,1800 Aug,1803). The Rifle Shoppe, Inc. - US Arms Harpers Ferry Model 1803 - Wikipedia Powder was too valuable on the frontier to waste. John Collins, who was flogged for being AWOL and stealing whiskey, returned West with William Ashleys 1823 expedition, being killed in a battle with the Arikaras that same year. When this arsenal was abandoned in 1798, he was given the task of setting up the new government arsenal at Harpers Ferry. 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. Moreover, Dearborn's 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. The principal means of loading when ranging as individuals was with loose powder and ball. The Short Rifle of the Lewis & Clark journals. lock date matching serial number ranges listed especially if we have confirmed serial numbers with correct lock dates. Gunsmiths We also encountered some pipe distance variations on the Lewis rifle and some pre-December,1803 military guns. LEWIS AND CLARK SHORT RIFLE - Great War Militaria It is a hammer poll type with a large US marking. This was enough to hold 208 pounds of the 226 special powder carried, with 18 pounds left for immediate use just about right to fill 15 horns for the start of the journey and to practice with the new rifles. [1] The 1792 contract specified rifles with a 44-1/2 inch long barrel in .47 caliber. All have heptagonal flat-bottomed rifling, buckhorn rear sight, no stock ferrule, straight upper ramrod pipe, round bottom profile and hollow pipe rib. 318. Serial number 708 is the lowest 1804 dated gun we could confirm, so anything under that number COULD be an 1803 manufactured gun. Horseman's Pistols, 15 Rifles, 15 Powder Horns and Pouches, 15 According to the journals, Windsors rifle had burst on the morning of June 16,1806. The use of interchangeable parts, a prerequisite for modern manufacturing, was perfected at Hall's Rifle Works at Harpers Ferry. MODEL 1819 HARPERS FERRY CONVERTED TO PERCUSSION RIFLE. Native American peoples. The Model 1816 was first standardized U.S. martial arm to be manufactured at both Harpers Ferry and Springfield. Harpers Ferry Battle Facts and Summary - American Battlefield Trust Hawken Fullstock Rifle, Pecatonica River Long Rifle Supply Barrel makers seldom marked their product in this period and if they did (as in later periods), it was on the bottom of the barrel. The Gumpf rifle was most likely one of the rifles made on this contract and sent directly to Schuylkill Arsenal. In many early articles on frontiersmen and their rifles, the same method was described to determine a powder charge. Second is a the very long-standing misplaced faith in the 1822 reconstructed Bomford records indicating that no short rifles (even prototypes) were made in 1803. All second contract guns were delivered by November of 1794. Lewis wrote to Jefferson on July 7, 1803: Yesterday I shot my guns and examined the several articles which had been manufactured for me at this place; they appear to be well executed.
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