In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

310.–1 Henry Deringer’s .54 and .58 caliber rifles were largely made from the same style components used by Deringer in his Model 1817 rifle contract of 1840. Deringer Rifle  310. Similar to the rifle muskets produced by Henry Deringer of Philadelphia, Deringer made small quantities of percussion versions of the Model 1817 rifle, which may have been sold to states’ militias. In the belief that these rifles may have been procured by the state of Pennsylvania, a thorough search of that state’s archives was made, but yielded no information regarding their purchase. It is possible they were purchased by one or more of the many private militia companies that were formed after the outbreak of the war to protect the state’s southern border. Limited information suggests these rifles were purchased by the state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Quartermaster General’s Report for 1861 stated there were more than 1,000 percussion rifles of various types in the Trenton State Arsenal and in the hands of the militia at the beginning of that year. Only 90 of these were flintlock rifles. This report also stated that 280 Deringer percussion rifles had been issued to several militia companies during the year. Deringer went to Washington, DC, with a sample rifle in early July 1862. He offered to furnish 500 or 600 rifles to the Ordnance Department. Chief of Ordnance General James Ripley wrote a letter addressed to Henry Deringer in Washington, DC, on July 11, stating that the rifles could not be purchased unless there were a sufficient number to arm a regiment and such purchase was approved by the secretary of war. Deringer wrote to the chief of ordnance on July 26. Although this letter has not been found, it is believed that Deringer may have offered a sufficient number of rifles to arm a regiment, as Chief of Ordnance General Ripley responded on July 28 directing Deringer to contact the Ordnance Department’s purchasing agent, Captain Silas Crispin in New York City, who would determine “if the arms are of a kind and quality which it is desirable to obtain for the U.S. service” and if they were priced appropriately. He added that Captain Crispin had authority to purchase arms for the U.S. Ordnance Department. No further information about a purchase by the federal government is known. Close examination of several Deringer rifles reveals that, while they all appear to be percussion rifles based on the U.S. Model 1817 rifle, some were fabricated with percussion-altered Model 1817 flintlock rifle locks and barrels, while others were originally made as percussion arms. They all appear to utilize the metal mountings of the last Model 1817 rifles delivered by Deringer Non-Armory-Pattern Muzzleloading Arms 353 pursuant to his contract with the federal government during the 1840s. The rifles’ similarity also derives from the unique style of the barrel’s nipple bolster, which is an enlarged version of the bolster used by Deringer in the single-shot box lock pistols delivered to the U.S. Navy during the 1840s. Several variations of this rifle have been noted. While the majority of the examples conform closely to the description here, some vary because they have shorter nipple bolsters. The bottom of the nipple bolster inclines downwards at the front of the barrels of some rifles; also, some nipple bolsters are brazed to the barrel, while others appear to be forged integral with the barrel. General Information Caliber: Both .54 caliber and .58 caliber examples are known. The latter is more common. Overall Length: 511 /4" Finish: Both brown and bright-finished examples are known. Brass Components: None Production Period: Believed to be in the 1861–1862 period Quantity Procured: It is estimated that at least 200 and perhaps as many as 1,000 were made. Barrel Caliber: Examples are known in both .54 and .58 calibers. Length: 36" Contour: Round, tapering in decreasing diameter from the breech to the flatcrowned muzzle. There are 21 /2" side flats at the breech. Muzzle Extension: 27 /8" Breech Tang: The 115 /16" by 7 /16" tang is round-ended. Sights: Rear Sight: The 1" sight base is dovetailed into the barrel 711 /16" forward of the breech. There is a standing leaf at the rear, sighted at 100 yards, and a folding leaf, sighted...

Share