Vol. Both were supplied by Harpers Ferry arsenal. 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. These were usually applied in three visible areas stock, barrel and lock to reassemble a rifle after cleaning. The first Hawkens were less stylized than later models and were Fullstocked. Harpers Ferry Battle Facts and Summary - American Battlefield Trust We believe these heavier barrels were an attempt to avoid bursting problems. This also tells us that each person received and was responsible for his own rifle and carried it throughout the journey. The Rifle Shoppe, Inc. - US Arms - US Contract Rifles Dearborn makes no comment of interchangeability of locks for the military rifles, making this feature unique to Lewiss fifteen rifles. These assembly numbers are found on almost every part of the gun and are important when checking the originality of any rifle. His Model 1800 rifles, with a unique system of interchangeable locks, were ordered in March of 1803 and well into production two months before Secretary of War Dearborn placed that order. It is important to note the spacing of the numbers that all start the same distance away from the US cartouche which in most cases would not allow another number to be inserted between the cartouche and the first number. On January 13, 1792, General Hand wrote back and said "he received This is more than just a casual letter expressing what might be a nice idea for a new rifle since he makes it a point to state that he has convincing proof of the new rifles advantages, meaning the rifle had passed the test stage. Joseph Perkin, superintendent of the Harpers Ferry Arsenal, Henry Dearborn, Secretary of War, and Meriwether Lewis are the principal players in this story. The late 1790s was still a dangerous and unsteady period in Americas growth and assured independence, with enemies and threats from many sides. It was there that he became fast friends with his new commander during their short time together. 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. 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. Edward Flanagan, who wrote a paper on the 1792 and 1807 contract rifles, believes that the weapons were marked by the U.S. government, a lesson learned from gun thefts during the Revolutionary War. No rifles left Harpers Ferry without at least SOME of the requested alterations. It could be done, according to the manual, with a cartridge or loose powder from a horn and ball. (24) Gary E. Moulton, ed., The Journals of Lewis & Clark Expedition, 13 volumes (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1988-2001), Vol 6, Pg. The .520 calibre ball would ride on the lands and fouling would build only in the grooves only, giving the rifleman more shots between cleanings. Anticipating an extended trip into an uncharted wilderness, Lewis wisely requested a supply of spare locks, perhaps as many as 15, to be used as needed, either in whole or part to keep his rifles serviceable. Small parts (such as screws) may be unmarked on later guns, but most early ones are. This is the subject of this section, to talk about riflemen and their special weapons. 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. After being given to states when obsolete, many were converted to percussion. 14 & 68. After Harpers Ferry Arsenal was established in 1799, their first task was to make a new rifle on a standard pattern becoming the Model 1803 short rifle. This placed the responsibility of striking a desired target directly upon the individual shooters proficiency with his selected load for his assigned rifle. What a story this rifle could tell! We also have found, by serial number and 1803 dated locks, that as many as 700 rifles were made in that year. It would not have changed the size of the ball. Surprisingly we found that this rifle had been known since 1996 but, due to its relic condition, had never been properly examined in detail. The Lewis and Clark short rifle Harpers Ferry short rifle SN 15, built in 1803 was used as a pattern for our rifle project once we verified its authenticity. This tells us that they were sighting their rifles to 300 yards with a mid-range trajectory designed to strike the center at 125 to 150 yards. These are true mountain man or Indian decorations. 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. The strength of the iron in the round section of the barrels was being stretched to the limits. If you should be of opinion that any improvements may be made on the above construction or any parts thereof, you will be pleased to inform me of such improvements as you may think useful. Engineering:Harpers Ferry Model 1803 - HandWiki The barrel was not protected by a wood stock (soft iron barrels were easily bent by soldiers misuse) and it did not mount a bayonet or carry a sling which became important for the mounted infantry concept. All 1814 and into about mid-production 1815 used left over barrels from the first production run. Several ribs, previously mounted to finished barrels, let loose during subsequent work. Native American peoples. We were only looking at serial numbers vs. lock dates to establish a yearly production timeline. 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. 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. But it wasn't until October 1803 that the first of Private Willards mishap of letting his gun fall in while crossing Boyers river on a 25-foot log would not have occurred.

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