Rifles of the Expedition - Lewis and Clark - Corps of Discovery - U.S (17) Many collectors contributed information on existing military contract short rifles in the 1803 & 1804 range. The original sight on SN 15 still had blueing on the underside. only one rifle in stock the 1792 / 1794 model. 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. (5) IBID, Pg. Both men made sure that all short rifles would be readily available, being the most effective means of defending themselves should they be attacked. 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. The shooting standards set for such men usually required prior experience with rifles men raised on the frontier who grew up with a rifle in their hands from an early age. 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. Documented cases of OCTAGON barrels bursting in any manner have yet to be encountered by the author. The Harper's Ferry Model 1803 rifle was the first rifle made by an American armory. (10) Stephen E. Ambrose, Undaunted Courage, (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Pg. NOTE ALL 1803 dated rifles were final inspected by Joseph Perkins (IP in circle on wood opposite the lock). This is a very good theory since only Lewis had any real opportunity to field test the rifles and make such suggestions. Dearborn's letter specifies in great detail the type of rifle the armory There is the possibility that a few rifles may exist with an 1807 lock but none have surfaced as of this writing. Harpers Ferry Model 1803 | Military Wiki | Fandom The fact that Lewis took 15 extra locks for his rifles is rather amazing. This brass could only have been for the M1800 rifle project that takes two thicknesses. Although crude woodcuts of the period, they are of interest in the fact that they seem to be purposely depicting the short barrels of the M1800 rifle.(49). After the Revolutionary War he set up his own business in Philadelphia but continued to serve as a part time inspector for the Superintendent of Military Stores. It is interesting to note that those guns were marked with a U.S. on the top flat of the barrel and carry a P and C inspector mark. 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 term she in Lewiss remarks refers to the rifle itself and is a common vernacular of 18th century America. These actions undoubtedly brought to conclusion the desired purchase of the entire Louisiana territory, to include New Orleans, in April,1803, averting a war which neither Spain nor France knew they could win. Early production retained the heptagonal rifling if using a pre-rifled barrel from old stock, later production (about mid 1815) used the new round bottomed rifling if using a new made barrel. This practice continued until the end of the 45-70 period with the only exception being the Civil War type percussion weapons that used the English musket nipple thread of 5/16 X 24. (Footnote 18). All British military weapons used one of these three calibre balls to make supply of ammunition practical.