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

383.–1 The U.S. Model 1861 navy rifles produced by Whitney strongly resemble the French Model 1849 “Chasseurs de Vincennes ” rifle. (Milwaukee Public Museum Photograph.) U.S. Model 1861 Navy Rifle, Whitney Contract (“Plymouth”)  383. John Adolphous Bernard Dahlgren was appointed a midshipman in 1826 and promoted to lieutenant in March 1837. He was assigned to Washington Navy Yard as ordnance officer in 1847, where he conducted experiments with small arms and cannon. He worked to establish an Ordnance Department at that Navy Yard, which included laboratories, foundries, and a test range. The USS Plymouth was refitted at the Boston Navy Yard in early 1855 and would serve as a naval ordnance testing ship on which to conduct sea trials of various military stores. Dahlgren was promoted to commander in October 1855. Commander Dahlgren began the development program that would result in the adoption of the Model 1861 U.S. Navy rifle with a February 7, 1856, letter to the acting chief of the Navy’s Ordnance Board, Commodore Joseph Smith. Commander Dahlgren wrote that all other countries had adopted rifled small arms, but “our Navy does not possess a single one.” He asked for authority to have samples of rifled arms prepared “for such trials as may be required to furnish the facts for determining upon the proper Naval musket.” He received this authority, and reported on February 16 that he was writing several American gun-makers requesting sample muskets. He wrote to Eli Whitney Jr. on March 6, 1856, requesting a sample rifle. The sample rifle was to have a 34" barrel, be in .69 caliber, and have a “lock to conform to the most approved construction made at the U.S. Arsenals.” Whitney responded the following day that he would make one for $25.00. Other gun-makers did not respond to Commander Dahlgren’s requests for sample rifles. The rifle supplied by Whitney was one of his two-band militia rifles (based on the Model 1841 rifle), reamed up to .69 caliber, and fitted with a Sharps Model 1853 rear sight. As it did not contain all of the features wanted by Commander Dahlgren, it was rejected. Failing to obtain sample arms from gun-makers, Commander Dahlgren had a sample rifle musket made at the Washington Navy Yard in September 1856. This sample rifle musket was based on the Model 1842 musket. This rifled musket contained the rear sight, trigger plate, upper barrel band, ramrod, and bayonet lug that would differentiate the Model 1861 Navy rifle from other arms; it was submitted for approval to the Navy Ordnance Bureau on September 17, 1856. Part III 508 Commander Dahlgren attempted to have 3,000 of these rifles made at Harpers Ferry Armory. He was informed that it would cost $20.00 per rifle, plus $12,000.00 in tooling costs, to manufacture 3,000 rifles with Maynard locks. The arsenal also informed Commander Dahlgren that similar rifles without Maynard locks could be made at $15.00 each plus $2,000.00 in tooling costs. In March 1857, $2,000.00 was allocated to the project, and Commander Dahlgren ordered 150 .69 caliber 34" barrels from E. Remington. These barrels had nipple bolsters similar to those of the Model 1842 musket. At the suggestion of Springfield Armory personnel, on April 18 Commander Dahlgren also ordered 100 locks with Maynard primer assemblies from Remington. These locks were the style supplied by Remington to the Ordnance Department, to alter Model 1816 flintlock muskets. Upon learning that they could only be used in conjunction with the special breech pieces Remington was also making for this alteration, the orders were cancelled. The trial Navy rifles would be based on the Model 1842 rifled and sighted muskets. On March 1, 1858, Colonel Craig wrote to Ingraham: “120 rifled muskets , browned, have been ordered to the Commander of the Navy Yard at Philadelphia from the Washington Arsenal. The cost of rifling, sighting, and browning the same will be included in the invoice to be presented for the Rifle Musket parts & c. ordered to be sent to Washington Navy Yard. You are respectfully requested, as proposed in your letter, to order 120 percussion muskets to be delivered at the Frankford Arsenal in exchange for the 120 rifled muskets.” Two days later, Colonel Craig wrote to Ingraham that...

Share