Also, IBID, May/June 2016 story on Colter. Lewis and Clark. See the special Chapter VIII for more information on these contract rifles. These arms enjoyed the longest production run in U.S. history, lasting until 1844, with nearly 700,000 muskets turned out during this period. 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. Harpers Ferry was quite capable of building his 15 short rifles between March and July of 1803, as well as completing a substantial number of military contract rifles in the same year. 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. The early Harper's Ferry Rifle thought to have been carried by some of the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition might have played a part in the development of the early Hawken model. 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. These were usually applied in three visible areas stock, barrel and lock to reassemble a rifle after cleaning. <snip> Except its not "short". 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. 318. Subject to a great deal of folklore, the Harpers Ferry Model 1803 rifle is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful guns ever produced. Sometime in 1804 breech contour became octagon rather than round (and continued to end of all production) to possibly reinforce this area. We will use the term Model 1800 for Lewiss 15 rifles to honor Charles Winthrop Sawyer who, in his 1921 book Our First Rifles, was the first to suggest that a Model 1800 rifle existed. the first had a Cock screw broken which was replaced by a duplicate which had been prepared for the Locks at Harpers, Ferry; the Second repared with a new Lock, the old one becoming unfit for use.(25). 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. Considering the emergency under which these rifles were ordered, they probably were NOT budgeted for 1803. 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. 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. Riflemen were taught the basic drills of Company and Battalion Drill but then left alone to act alone under their officers & NCOs. 265. 337, 347 & Appendix 5. 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. 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. Joseph Perkin, superintendent of the recently created Harper's Ferry Armory, was placed in charge of the design of the new rifle. One only needs to read the many books giving weapons production figures to see that no two authors, using a variety of records, seem to totally agree. 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. Some locks were marked on the edges with straight cut lines. If we take a closer look at riflemen of the period, knowing Lewiss secret gathering of supplies for a larger exploring party than first projected, the journals themselves and the structural aspect of the rifle, this theory can be dispelled. 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. Thus, the term short rifle, used by Dearborn in Harpers Ferry records and Lewiss journals, can only be viewed as the proper name for the Model 1800 rifles. (43) Duponts rifle powder, based upon a French formula lacked the quality saltpeter found in English powder, so it did not perform quite as well as the previously imported English rifle powder, but at least it cut our dependence on imported rifle powder. Perkin finished Lewiss Model 1800 rifles on schedule. 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. Barrel profiles were round at the breech for all 1803 dated rifles. Ordways journal entry specifies a short rifle to be traded for a guide, so both Lewiss and Clarks use of only the term rifle really meant a short rifle. It is known that Peter Getz and Thomas Palmer inspected guns contracted by him. These weights probably varied due to the purity of the lead of that period. 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. Harpers Ferry production capabilities in 1803 was more than enough to make his rifles in the allotted time. They now gave away the second shorten rifle cut down by Shields. This error came from measuring the bores of the rifle at the muzzle, not considering that the muzzle is swamped to allow insertion of the patched ball with the thumb. he prefers the short rifle Lewis had shown him "over the long ones 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. 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. 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. The Gumpf rifle was most likely one of the rifles made on this contract and sent directly to Schuylkill Arsenal. Note inspector marks IW on left barrel flat of Gumpf rifle in the same configuration of inspector marks on the M1803 rifles. Upper photo: 1804 rifle SN 909 made after December,1803 changes . We know from the 1812 riflemans manual that each soldier could select a powder charge best suited for his individual rifle, which usually was less than the standard service. Right -1819 dated rifle, 36 barrel with 7 groove round bottom rifling with curved lands. and Lewis' former Army colleague William Clark, the Corps would Not understanding this causes a lot of errors even in the most modern books on British muzzle loading rifles. This created a big problem if a soldier lost his mold the rifle became useless unless a companion had a similar caliber. it becomes clear that the Secretary of War was convinced that the Army These were divided into smaller sections (called divisions, sub-divisions, twenty platoons and forty sections) for field maneuvers. (Jackson, op. 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 idea that locks can be retro-fitted to other guns is absurd. TYPE III Military rifles produced after Dearborns December,1803 changes to include new style sight, stock reinforcing band and slightly flared upper pipe. Don is a wealth of knowledge, and his kits are top quality. Whelan seems to be associated with Schuylkill arsenal where some of the 1792/4 contract guns were sent. Over 300 of these rifles were stored at the Harpers Ferry arsenal when Again, it is very important to recognize that Lewiss rifles had absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming 1803 military contract. Since we could not personally examine all rifles on the list for originality, we listed them with a code as follows: C = Inspected & confirmed matching gun. The disassembly of these rifles and examination of the assembly numbers, viz. 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. We have seen several rifles with the first number removed (leaving a wide space) to make them into a low serial numbered rifle. found on the surviving examples. To find the maximum charge a rifle would hold, they would fire over a snowbank until unburned grains of powder begin to appear in the snow. May,1985. There was another good reason to increase the size of the party in secret. John Shields, the man who fixed everything, including Lewiss airgun, returned to the Missouri to roam with Daniel Boone, a reputed relative. They practiced a pace of 90 to 100 (24 step) Vs. the 76 of the Infantry. 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. From ALL original guns examined, serial numbers were placed in a manner to the right of the oval US cartouche without leaving enough space to insert another number. We shall never know exactly how long it took the workmen to make his 15 rifles, but we know that in 1805 48 workers turned out 1716 rifles, requiring approximately 50 man-hours per gun. From the available evidence, it seems that Dearborn was so impressed Under Dearborn's direction, the war department issued an order for the new rifle on May 25, 1803. We are especially looking for a rifle over SN 4000 as it would tell us if they started serial numbering at 16. Trade guns, with their octagon breech and round barrels were prone to burst at the muzzle if overcharged. Clark was a 4-year Army veteran and had fought in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, so he also was no stranger to the tactical effectiveness of rifles on a battlefield. Between March and May of 1803, based upon his convincing proof, Dearborn made the important decision that the newly designed Model 1800 short rifle being built for Lewiss expedition was also perfect for the U.S. Armys needs. 9. 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. That his men had become expert shots is recorded in the journals as they held shooting contests with Indians along the way. With the discovery of Serial Number 15 Model 1800 rifle we have categorized, for the purpose of this study, the Harpers Ferry rifles into five categories for a clearer understanding. From reading Dearborn's letter, Left and right views of M1792/94 Gumpf rifle. Each rifle was still an individually produced weapon with no interchangeability of parts. 1803 Harpers Ferry Rifle. 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). from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, produced these rifles. 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. When that supply was exhausted, they went to the round-bottom rifling with 36 barrel for reasons also explained in the story. Englands addition of a rifle regiment to their Army in 1799, armed with a new rifle (Baker) was another factor that prompted us to look for a new rifle to replace the obsolete common long rifle in our inventory. 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. The lowest SN of an 1804 dated military rifle was 909 (confirmed) and the highest 1,520 (unconfirmed). It required the building of firearms for testing purposes. 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. We have taken much of this material from that book. 30, 120, 208, & 250. What becomes immediately apparent is that Dearborn is describing an existing rifle, in hand, in order to have such a detailed description for Perkin. Also shown is probably the type of powder horn issued with the axe to his men. 567. Joseph Perkin, superintendent of the Harpers Ferry Arsenal, Henry Dearborn, Secretary of War, and Meriwether Lewis are the principal players in this story. Dearborn wrote again to Perkin on December 2, 1803, stating The iron ribbed Rifle in my opinion is an excellent pattern, with the following very trifling alterations (viz.) to the records in Lancaster, these were .49 caliber weapons, with a (9) Tony Hunter, The Wilderness Fighters: Part Four, (Muzzleloader Magazine, JULY/AUG 2005), Pgs. My photos are crummy. from Lewis to Jefferson, it appears that Lewis had the arsenal shorten You will therefore take the necessary measures for commencing the manufactory as soon as may be after completing the Muskits now in hand. 500 Rifle Flints, 420 Pounds of Sheet Lead for Bullets, 176 Pounds 26), for delivering 100 guns on the 1792 military contracts. On January 13, 1792, General Hand wrote back and said "he received Both armories also produced the Model 1842 percussion musket and Model 1855 percussion . Barrel lengths, thicknesses and profiles (wedding ring, octagon portion and diameters) varied widely. To date, no short rifle from the Expedition has been specifically identified and no attributed specimens have ever surfaced, but this all changed in 2005 when Serial Number 15, 1803 dated Harpers Ferry rifle found its way into our shop for examination. It is interesting to note that the ball was to be loaded with ease. (21) The fact that he shot the rifles at the arsenal also hints that they were of a totally different design than the M1792 long rifle with which he was already well familiar. 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). These former members of the Expedition started the mountain man tradition to follow. Louisiana Purchase. When we decided to build a Lewis and Clark rifle I too thought they carried a long rifle of some sort, perhaps even the M1792. This is important information in understanding why he took new slings for muskets he intended to press into service. only one rifle in stock the 1792 / 1794 model. 1803 Harper's Ferry Rifle Not available at this time Lewis and Clark carried Harper's Ferry style rifles on their journey to the Pacific Ocean and back. By that time, Lewis and Clark were leaving To fully understand the role this rifle played in our military history, one must also understand the times in which it appeared. Overall metal is generally VG with a light gunm .Click for more info. All 1803 dated military rifles examined had a solid rib and rounded bottom breech barrel profile. This is the only picture I have to work with of the entire rifle. (43) Correspondence with and Documents provided by E.I DuPont Manuscripts & Archives Department/ July,2004. 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. We had access to a large selection of rifles in various collections, many of which still had excellent bores. 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. We have learned a great deal about 1803 rifles. May 2006, Vol 32, No.2, written my Jim Merritt from our research. It is a great tribute to these early mountain men from which much of the information in this footnote is taken. U.S. Model 1803 Flintlock Rifle. . Our research shows they were using their stock of existing round bottom barrels into 1804. 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 is believed that many of these rifles were The arsenal produced nothing at that time requiring such sheet brass. We can choose to cling to the past but to do so is an injustice to historians and collectors who want the truth. letter to Perkin supports this, especially when Dearborn states that If it did not meet expectations, another weapon was built until a satisfactory pattern weapon emerged from which production could begin. 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. Another fact noted is wedge keys were used for barrel mounting, making them easy to disassemble and clean in the field. In 1794 George Rogers Clark went so far as offer to lead a military expedition on a state level to take these forts by force of arms. (4) Stuart E. Brown, The Guns of Harpers Ferry, 1968, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1994, P10; National Archives Collection, papers of the War Department; Coxe and Irvine Papers, RG92. The stock has many wood fillers (of various types and age) applied over the years for preservation with the patch box replaced by a wood covering held in place by handmade square cut nails. Frank A. Tait, "The U.S. Contract Rifle Pattern of 1792," MAN AT ARMS Magazine, Vol. You cannot put a .010 patch on a .530 calibre ball (meaning .54 caliber bore) and get it down the bore of any original rifle. It is important to keep in mind that when reading period journals, we think in the language of that period. The Model 1795 was produced in about 85,000 units until 1814. One of these threats were the Indians on our new Western frontier (ending at the Mississippi river) in the area won from England after the Revolution. cit., Pg. Unfortunately, serial numbers were not used on the 1814-1819 production, but rifle assembly numbers will still be present. If we consider that the .525 ball weighs in at 219 grains, a charge of about 55 grains (1/4 the ball weight) would be enough for accurate shooting (man sized target) out to 300 yards. Both entries show that the locks and their components were indeed interchangeable. 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. Article by Edward R. Flanagan discussing the 1792 and 1807 contract rifles. 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] In 1792 there was a need for rifles, and a contract was drawn up with Lancaster, Pennsylvania, gunsmiths to deliver rifles. The records at the arsenal are not exact on the matter, as it appears the first 1803 prototype was produced six months after Lewis departed Maryland. Shooting a copy of this rifle has proven this correct, giving well over 30 shots between cleaning. The U.S. M1814 rifle was designed by Robert T. Wickham. Historians (writers) are out of step with gun collectors in this area, relying upon OLD & incorrect production information. Ed Pugsley was an employee of Winchester and turned over much of his collection to the company. Note the uneven US stamping below the eagle. Various spellings of his name are recorded. (3) Viz. This is the first part of our study on two important weapons carried on the Lewis & Clark expedition, the second being the Airgun. 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. (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. 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. In correspondence with Dave Kennedy at Cody, Wyoming museum, the 1803 rifle SN 94 is attributed to the Pugsley Collection. (Footnote 18). 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. As stated early in this article, one of his short rifles survived. The third observation is that an entirely new lightweight lock was specified for the rifle, meaning that no lock of that style had been previously used on military weapons. 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. He also had the gunsmiths add swivels to these weapons, What a story this rifle could tell! From our experience and with the list above, we know that 1803 production may be as high as 567 (unconfirmed). As noted in the M1792/94 story, in 1805, of remaining rifles in stores at Schuylkill Arsenal, 94 were designated unserviceable and 5 serviceable meaning that an inspection process was in now in place. territory recently acquired from France in what became known as the Correspondence from 1795-1805 between the secretary of war, purveyor of public supplies, and military storekeepers, indicates that the rifles had barrel lengths ranging from 42 to 44-1/2, and were .45 to .49 caliber. A second contract was let in 1794 for 2,000 additional rifles to have a reserve on hand since the first contract was used up in the initial issue. All military production 1803-1806 rifles have the heptagonal flat bottom rifling (Dearborns special rifling reference). It is not unreasonable to surmise that part of Colters settlement would have included a rifle and the rifle of choice would have been the one he carried on the expedition. The term loaded for bear came from the practice of double charging rifles. It is considered advisable to have a suitable number of judiciously constructed Rifles manufactured at the Armory under your direction. under contract for the United States Army in 1792 and 1794. 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. Led by Jefferson's secretary, Meriwether Lewis, Ordway writes for August 17,1806 John Colter one of our party asks leave of our officers to go back with Mr Dixon a trapping, which permission was granted him so our officers Settled with him and fitted him out with powder lead and a great number of articles which compleated him for a trapping voiage of two years which they determined to Stay untill they make a fortune.. One of the items given to him was a canoe. In this manner they were able to produce the much-needed rifles in the remarkably short time allotted. the upper end of the upper thimble should be a little Bell muzzled to receive the introduction of the ramrod more conveniently the aperture or cut in the sight near the Breech should be a little wider and a Brass ferrule placed on the end of the Stock near the tail pipe, to prevent that part of the Stock from splitting(18). 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. 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. All rights reserved. 30. Those lost records have never been accurately reconstructed. Since few people understand these rifles, their origins and how to identify them, we decided to cover them briefly. 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. There is no reason not to believe that Dearborn was very much aware of the new rifle ready for production and thus sent Lewis to Harpers Ferry to acquire them. Late in the 1794 contract a US (later letters specified UNITED STATES) marking was requested but since none have ever surfaced with either marking visible on the exterior, it appears the rifles were completed before this could be implemented making it difficult today to identify these rifles. lock date matching serial number ranges listed especially if we have confirmed serial numbers with correct lock dates. At Harpers Ferry, Captain Meriwether Lewis obtained 15 rifles built [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. This highly skilled work force was in place when Lewis arrived on the scene in March of 1803. No one ever bother to make a wax cast of the bore at the breech to establish that fact. Eventually it was bored smooth and converted to percussion, serving either an Indian or trapper for many, many years with crude sun decorations added at some point in its life. Due to the lateness of the shipment these guns may have carried an inspector mark. TYPE IV Military rifle with 33 barrels made in 1814 to mid-1815 (before the 36 barrel request). BOTTOM: Half-stock fowler made by BARKER in the 1775-1785 period. The new heptagonal .530 caliber bore of the 1803 rifle has wide flat lands with narrow grooves instead of the concave lands and grooves found in many of the second production (1815-1819) rifles. * 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. A letter from Samuel Hodgdon to Israel Whelan, dated October 14, 1800, requests him to purchase fifty pounds of thick & thin sheet brass for use at Harpers Ferry. Dearborn makes no comment of interchangeability of locks for the military rifles, making this feature unique to Lewiss fifteen rifles. These gauges show that a 30-bore gun uses a .517 ball. First of which is an 1807 watercolor by C.B.J. 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). 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. cit./Table 1) Browns calculations were based upon the reconstructed Bomford records, whose total is correct, but we now know that his years of production are also incorrect. One could say that he had overstocked on this commodity, but it shows the importance he placed upon having a quantity of the correct powder for his rifles. Lt. Col. George Bomfords calculations were made in 1822 with an 1848 supplement. Horseman's Pistols, 15 Rifles, 15 Powder Horns and Pouches, 15 The gun assembly number was added during final fitting of the lock (found just forward of the frizzen on the upper flat of the lock plate). The groups listed below should give the collector an idea of serial numbers ranges to be found within yearly production, viz. The style and placement of these markings varied considerably on the guns we inspected, from tiny detailed marks to big, crude scratches and cuts, so you must study them carefully. Returning downriver, Colter met three other expedition members on their way back to the mountains Drouillard, Potts and Weiser with Manual Lisas trapping party. From shooting the rifles, we did discover that the center pipe being slightly forward of center helps guide the rod into the ramrod channel. Details of Serial No. The explanation may be very simple. 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. One trick of a frontiersman used to find his maximum load was to shoot his rifle over a snowbank and then check for unburned grains of powder.