Rolled cartridges were reserved for close order fire only. Locks are somewhat interchangeable on the early rifles but in all cases they will display traces of fitting, either in the lock mortise or the lock itself (sear bent, mounting screw holes are enlarged, or some other noticeable work). Both men made sure that all short rifles would be readily available, being the most effective means of defending themselves should they be attacked. He had been part of the militia that put down the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. As noted, all 1803 and many early 1804 rifles have ROUNDED undersides at the breech end. History - Don Stith It rules out the Model 1803, which didn't enter production until the fall. It is interesting to note that the ball was to be loaded with ease. (37) Just for a comparison to a later 19th century rifle, the Model 1895 Winchester rifle in .405 caliber firing a 300-grain bullet produced a muzzle velocity of 2,000 FPS with 3,000 foot-pounds of energy. Many historians believe that Lewis and Clark traveled west with these . British soldiers returning to England after our American Revolution spun tales about the unerring accuracy of our long rifle that are hard to dispel even today. No rifles left Harpers Ferry without at least SOME of the requested alterations. 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. 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. It is time to update the history of these rifles not reinvent it. Another remarkable letter exists from Secretary Dearborn to Superintendent Perkin dated May 25, 1803. The War Department expended $9520.49 in 1799 on new arms manufacturing yet manufacturing of muskets did not get well under way until 1801. Colter joined their party and led them to the Yellowstone Valley. It would not have changed the size of the ball. The first rifle designed exclusively for the US Army was made at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, site of the infamous John Brown raid. Note the similarities in design. 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. From the 18 May 1803 requisition receipt Lewis received from the arsenal, According to tradition his body was returned to his wife who buried him on a bluff overlooking the Missouri river near New Haven, Missouri. Whelan may have also been the inspector for Tench Francis, Purveyor of Public Stores from 1795-1800. 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. This brass could only have been for the M1800 rifle project that takes two thicknesses. 1803 Harpers Ferry Rifle - National Park Service They were carved into the stock and then filled with pine resin which hardened to a glassy apperance. from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, produced these rifles. 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. The short rifle was working on the extreme edge of the maximum pressure an iron barrel of 1800 could withstand. under contract for the United States Army in 1792 and 1794. Lewis and Clark - U.S. Army Center of Military History The amazing distances they were expected to shoot is also recorded .. it becomes necessary to aim lower than the level line when the objects are near and to aim higher when beyond a given distance. The first contract was issued January 13,1792, requesting 44-1/2 barrels with 45 balls to the pound (.47 caliber bore). A flintlock rifle fires by striking a piece of flint against piece of steel. 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. The arsenal produced nothing at that time requiring such sheet brass. 567. pairs of bullet molds, 15 wipers or gun worms, 15 ball screws, the lock, barrel, and stock, is the bare minimum needed to tell if the rifle is an original assembly. Use and wear quickly changes this. The U.S. Army's acknowledges that there were 300 of the 1792 or 1794 contract rifles at the arsenal at that time. There is the possibility that a few rifles may exist with an 1807 lock but none have surfaced as of this writing. GI#: 102236266. 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. 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. The size of the mark is not mentioned, nor the total number of shots fired, but most likely it represented a man sized target (for which military rifles were designed), or about an 18 circle, which, in 1803 was very respectable shooting with round balls and thus noteworthy in the journals. A letter also exists from Tench Coxe to William Eustis (Secretary of War) dated Nov 11, 1811 states It is considered that these rifles are so short as to be dangerous to the soldier, being only thirty-three inches. (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. We also encountered some pipe distance variations on the Lewis rifle and some pre-December,1803 military guns. Colter moved to Missouri, married and settled down near Daniel Boone at Dundee, Missouri, fathering one son. It is quite likely that Lewis and Jefferson decided to change the civilian exploring party into a military expedition by doubling the size. It was under these clouds of potential war that the short rifle was born. Over time they were issued to a variety of states and even Indian tribes (as many as 600 to the Chickasaws during the 1793/94 period), leaving 911 rifles in stores on October 1,1802. 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). By Feb 15, 1805, only 5 serviceable and 94 unserviceable rifles remained in stores (showing an inspection process had been accomplished). Not much doubt that we copied a basic British gun design for our short rifles. 318. 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. Left and right views of M1792/94 Gumpf rifle. rivers, animals, and peoples. Although not clear in the photo, his rifles mounted a silver blade front sight commonly found on civilian long rifles of the period. During our research, we found no recorded instances of any octagon barrel ever bursting. In May of 1803 the sheet lead was sent from Schuylkill Arsenal to Harpers Ferry for Lewis to pick up for that purpose (which he did on May 18, 1803). Only the upper ramrod pipe, either already mounted on completed rifles or those in stock as completed sub-assemblies, could not have been changed as explained in the text. The second observation worthy of note is the comment about the rifling being less liable to become fouled by firing. Usually, as common sense would dictate, only one pattern rifle was made at a time. 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. 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). Major historical writers on antique firearms could not find an explanation for the errors found in both the Harpers Ferry 1805 pistol and 1795 musket production. If it did not meet expectations, another weapon was built until a satisfactory pattern weapon emerged from which production could begin. (commonly used) in actual service". The Harper's Ferry Rifle With stocks of the 1792 Contract Rifle (see above) growing pretty thin, and the musket revealing the weaknesses in its maximum 75-yard range for aimed shots, the. 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. It would just load easier and probably had little effect upon accuracy. These dates and passages are very important to the researcher. 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. The brass patchbox was removed and replaced with a wood cover nailed into place with square cut nails. A second contract rifle has been identified, the 1807 Contract Rifle, which has different specifications than the weapons of 1792 and 1794. Clark used the term small rifle when referring to his personal small caliber long rifle to avoid confusion with any other weapon in their arsenal. 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. Hamilton, Pioneer Press, 1987. military service. Even ramrods were marked somewhere along its length. After picking up his rifles and shooting them at the arsenal in July of 1803, he may have influenced Dearborns December,1803 changes to the gun, but other than that possibility, his connection with the rifle ends. Thus, you rarely (if ever) see a sling on a long rifle. At these pressures, just as in modern firearms, any obstruction in the muzzle, such as snow or mud, would have caused them to burst in that area. (6) The Spanish administered the French speaking colony. (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. Later, the halfstock model, with full under rib, came to be recognized as a kind . Tait made a strong case that Lewis must have picked up fif- teen rifles from the U.S. Contract of 1792 or 1794. He was also aware of not only their influence that the fine-grained European rifle powder played in its design, but also the fact that Lewis and Clark documented the performance of this radically new short rifle in their journals. U.S. Model 1800 flintlock rifle serial #15 made at Harper's Ferry Arsenal . All these early 1803 rifles have had the other two December 1803 changes applied flat sight and the stock ferrule. Under Dearborn's direction, the war department issued an order for the new rifle on May 25, 1803. The term loaded for bear came from the practice of double charging rifles. (1) The design (patterning) of new weapons at this time could be a slow process, identical to the British methods and done without drawings. (17) Many collectors contributed information on existing military contract short rifles in the 1803 & 1804 range. 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. On January 13, 1792, General Hand wrote back and said "he received the barrels of 15 of the 1792 / 1794 rifles to between 33 and 36 inches BOTTOM: Half-stock fowler made by BARKER in the 1775-1785 period. It is known that Peter Getz and Thomas Palmer inspected guns contracted by him. 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. It also proved that Lewiss short rifles mentioned in the journals were one and the same rifle. Since few people understand these rifles, their origins and how to identify them, we decided to cover them briefly. (46) These two items put the slings into perspective all would be needed to fully equip the 15 additional men he would recruit at the various frontier posts carrying muskets with bayonets, a formidable weapon for defense. In such situations, a small group of well-trained riflemen would cause considerable demoralization and casualties within any grouped enemy ranks. He wisely intended to start the entire expedition with as much new, reliable gear as he could obtain, being unsure of the condition of the accouterments in the hands of the soldiers posted at the frontier posts. It is held that they would be safe if they were 3 feet 2 inches; and if so much barrel, rod and stock were added, and 14 1/2. territory recently acquired from France in what became known as the (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. Article by Edward R. Flanagan discussing the 1792 and 1807 contract rifles. In 1808 he made his now famous 200 mile run for survival from the Indians. Americans along the Mississippi, especially the new State of Kentucky, were furious and the United States overtly began preparations for war (saber rattling) over this issue in early 1803. Breech markings on SN 15 rifle. 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. (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. If the lock, stock and barrel match, the rest is probably good since all were hand built and components are not interchangeable. Whitehouse used she when describing the air gun on August 30, 1804, and Lewis uses it again on August 7, 1805 ..my air gun was out of order and her sights had been removed by some accedent.. This indicates that when Lewis writes where she was manufactured, he is not referring to the lock, but rather the rifle itself. He immediately went to work for John Strode, manager of Rappahannock Forge in Virginia where he became renowned for his gunlock skills. The butt end of the ramrod should be concaved suited to the shape of the Ball the locks should be light and well executed the mounting should be brass there should be at least two thousand of these rifles made. (26)(24), Clark writes of the same event: The Guns of Sergt. It is quite possible a 1 in 15 chance. The most likely candidate are 1792 contract rifles. The first Hawkens were less stylized than later models and were Fullstocked. On February 28, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson won approval 25. the first was repared with a new lock, the old one having become unfit for uce; the second had the cock screw broken which was replaced by a duplicate which had been made prepared for the lock at Harpers ferry where she was manufactured. If we are real romantics, serial number 15 may have been the one given to John Colter (and subsequently lost to the Indians) who went back to the West and become a legend in his own right.(51). A show of force was part of the plan. Lewis and Clark maintained a detailed journal of western geography, ", 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. Many, having survived the journey, died at the hands of the Indians in those endeavors. 53. 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.) This continued until the end of production mid 1815 to 1819. The strength of the iron in the round section of the barrels was being stretched to the limits. As stated early in this article, one of his short rifles survived. Unfortunately he died May 7, 1812, not at hostile hands, but by jaundice (another term for blood poisoning). According 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. Top is SN 909, bottom is SN 1 of our rifles built on SN 15 rifle pattern. Second is Lewiss acquisition of 15 slings of unspecified type taken from Harpers Ferry. 9, 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. Before their exploratory trip, the Lewis and Clark Expedition obtained rifles from the Harper's Ferry Arsenal. 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). Joseph Perkin, superintendent of the recently created Harper's Ferry Armory, was placed in charge of the design of the new rifle. Note inspector marks IW on left barrel flat of Gumpf rifle in the same configuration of inspector marks on the M1803 rifles. It is agreed that they followed the same basic shop patterns used for their civilian market. 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. 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. Any man returning West would have coveted such a powerful weapon, as it was the fore-runner of the large caliber Hawkins type rifles that appeared later. letter to Perkin supports this, especially when Dearborn states that Also, IBID, May/June 2016 story on Colter. 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).

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