Continental Army Rifle

[CharlesZ]

I'm looking to buy a flintlock rifle that would be representative of the military rifle used by the Americans during the Revolution. If that is too obscure, the War of 1812 would work.
Looking for a rifle, not a musket.
Any suggestions?

 

[hawkeye2]

There were no GI rifles during the Revolution. The men in the rifle companies brought what they had at home. They needed a servicable rifle and a mold to suit. They might have carried anything from the 1750s to the year they joined. The first "Army" rifle would have been the Harpers Ferry.

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

My limited research suggests that the US military did buy rifles, and also encouraged riflemen to bring their own. From what I have been able to find, any good period rifle would work, including Jaegers and longrifles. Both seem to have been a King's Mountain, and elsewhere. The earliest rifle that I can find being built to pre-determined specifications is the 1792 contract rifle, which was farmed out to various builders with mediocre or worse results. The caliber of this gun seems to have been .49. Track of the Wolf offers what is apparently a rather challenging parts set to build this gun here: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Cate...tyleId=286&partNum=KIT-US-1792-CONTRACT-RIFLE

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

Here's the Rifle Shoppe's commentary on these rifles: http://www.therifleshoppe.com/catalog_pages/us_arms/(us_contract_rifles).htm

The state of Virginia also built some rifles about the same time frame with delightful rattlesnake patch boxes.

 

[CharlesZ]

What is a Harpers Ferry? If someone 'showed up' ready to fight, was there any standard issue firearm?
One would think uniformity of caliber would be something an army would strive for. Was there a generally accepted caliber?

 

[Trench]

Rifles typically came with their own bullet mold. So, all the army would have to do is supply the raw lead. Uniformity of caliber wouldn't be much of a logistical issue back then.

 

[Coot]

What is a Harpers Ferry? If someone 'showed up' ready to fight, was there any standard issue firearm?
One would think uniformity of caliber would be something an army would strive for. Was there a generally accepted caliber?

The standard issue firearm was the musket. A large number of musket types were used and uniformity was something generally only found on a unit by unit basis, different companies in the same regiments sometimes having different arms. The two predominant musket types were the French Charleville and the British Bess, both having several different models. In addition, Spanish, Dutch and German muskets (again in several models each) were in use along with a very small number of state produced or purchased muskets. Bill Ahearn's book "Muskets of the Revolution" gives a good overview of many of the types in use. As noted by others, there was no official rifle in the Continental Army and those rifles that did serve were simply whatever was available to a local militia man who in many cases might well carry a fowler or an obsolete earlier model musket rather than a rifle. Official issue rifles show up in limited numbers well after the Revolution, with models for 1803 (made at Harper's Ferry, VA - thus the name), 1814, 1817 and 1841 coming to mind. Others will know more about this later time period.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Bill Ahearn's book "Muskets of the Revolution" gives a good overview of many of the types in use.

Excellent book I might add. :thumbsup:

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

One statistic which I saw in a book somewhere was a major eyeopener. The exact number may not be accurate but the general trend seems accurate.

There were about 675,000 Model 1816 muskets produced.

During the same time period the US Government made or contracted to be made about 60,000 1814, 1817, and other rifles.

Muskets come close to outnumbering rifles on a 10-1 ratio. Clearly the standard military weapon was the smoothbore flintlock musket...my candidate for the "Gun that Won The West". And that's not counting the many trade fowlers that the gov't distributed.

Are these numbers grossly accurate? Thanks.

 

[Mike Brooks]

The musket and the ability to use it was what finally won the Rev war.

 

[Trench]

The musket and the ability to use it was what finally won the Rev war.

I've got a quote somewhere with General Mad Anthony Wayne commenting on how he thought the rifle was a colossal waste on the battlefield.

His thinking must have changed, since he placed the order for the 1792 contract rifles when he was forming his legion for the Northwest Indian War.

 

[Mike Brooks]

The musket and the ability to use it was what finally won the Rev war.

I've got a quote somewhere with General Mad Anthony Wayne commenting on how he thought the rifle was a colossal waste on the battlefield.

His thinking must have changed, since he placed the order for the 1792 contract rifles when he was forming his legion for the Northwest Indian War.

Fighting British in line formation and fighting indians in the wilderness were two different things. :wink:

 

[rabjr]

Hands down! Don Stiths rifle parts set.
http://www.donstith.com/lewis___clark.html

 

[Stumpkiller]

The Rifle Companys of the Revolution were self-equipped. Usually deployed to scout and guard the supply wagons - or van - and these van guards were often deployed in anti-Indian (and Tory) skirmishes. Clinton and Sullivan both relied on rifle companies to scout and attack Indian settlements (long house full of wommen and pumpkins = "fort" or "castle").

As far as a standard rifle? Something of the Christian Springs style of Early Pennsylvania would fit in.

But when in doubt a First Model Bess (or maybe Second Model) would be familiar to either side and far and away the most used. Smoothbore muskets were even issued to soldiers of several disbanded rifle companies towards the end of the war.

 

[Zonie]

The 1792 Contract Flintlock Rifle was the first rifle ordered and produced for the U.S. Military.
The contract specified that it should be in .50 caliber.

It was built by several different gunsmiths in Pennsylvania.

The .54 caliber Model 1803, made by Harpers Ferry Armory, Virginia was intended to replace or supplement the 1792 Contract rifles but 1792 rifles continued to be built thru 1809.

 

Hey, folks, he was asking about the Rev War, The 1792 and later guns are post war, and would be better suited for Lewis and Clark, or the War of 1812. Militia guns would have been used up F&I left over Bess', Committee of Safety muskets which some were new made, but most were recycled parts guns. The Charleville was introduced when France joined in to help. As to rifles< if memory serves there were only six or eight Companies, and most were used as escort and skirmishers. Riflemen were disliked on our side, and were considered Murderers by the Brittish. Any captured Rifleman was summarily executed without trial. Riflemen did have an impact in a few battles. They helped to turn the battle by their sniping of officers, and ncos, as the well trained troops hd no direction with their loss of command. The two biggest wins they helped was Cowpens, and Kings Mountain. Some Yeagers could be added to the mix when Von Stuben, came to teach correct Manuel of Arms, but he too was a stand in a line and volley fire type of fellow.

Bill

 

[rabjr]

Obviously I was referring to this comment,

If that is too obscure, the War of 1812 would work.

I'm not aware of any Continental Army rifle before then, 1792.

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

You Gentlemen are forgetting that Washington's army was indeed issued rifles. Remember the folding pike the riflemen carried. The program did not last long
but there were several companies of US Riflemen at the start of the war. Washington disbanded them early.
For you all who believe that it was muskets and the regular army that won the war, I would like to suggest some reading for you. I am talking about the Southern Campaign 1780-1781.
The Road To Guilford Courthouse By John Buchanan
A Devil of a Whipping by Laurence Babits
The Day it Rained Militia by Michael C. Scoggins
King's Mountain and it's Heroes by Lyman Draper.
When the British won the siege of Charleston SC in the spring of 1780 the first Southern army was captured by the British. In August of 1780 the Hero of Saratoga Horatio Gates marched the second southern army direct into the jaws of Lord Cornwallis at Camden SC. This was the worst defeat of a continental army during the war. This is the full extent of the southern army in SC in 1780. There were 84 engagements fought in SC during 1780. At Cowpens in January 1781 Daniel Morgan force had only 500 continentals and a thousand militia. All of the actions in South Carolina and North Carolina forced Cornwallis to Yorktown. All of these books document rifles in the hands of southern militia, patriot and tory.

 

[Many Klatch]

FWIW, the Harpers Ferry rifle that is commonly available for purchase today has a lock that requires a lot of work to get shooting reliably. If you haven't had much contact with flintlocks I'd steer away from starting with a Harpers Ferry.

If you want to do rifleman of the Rev War era, any larger caliber flintlock with a suitable period architecture will do. There were some small caliber used as well, they used what they had, but as a rule the larger bores, .54 to .68 were what was used.

Many Klatch

 

[Trench]

The musket and the ability to use it was what finally won the Rev war.

I've got a quote somewhere with General Mad Anthony Wayne commenting on how he thought the rifle was a colossal waste on the battlefield.

His thinking must have changed, since he placed the order for the 1792 contract rifles when he was forming his legion for the Northwest Indian War.

Fighting British in line formation and fighting indians in the wilderness were two different things. :wink:

Absolutely!! :grin: