Springfield Armory NHS, US NPS In April 1794, the Congress of the United States appropriated $81,865 “for the erecting and repairing of Arsenals and Magazines,” an act that created the Federal Armories at Springfield, Massachusetts, and Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Although both establishments were to produce weapons for the United States Army, it is apparent by comparing the products of the two factories that there were important differences in their weapons. Springfield Armory had a number of advantages. It lay in the midst of the Connecticut River Valley, an American center of arms manufacturing and inventiveness, and its early superintendents, especially Col. Roswell Lee, had frequent contact with many nearby inventors like Eli Whitney. As a consequence, very early on Springfield Armory came to use machinery to ease production and standardize parts of the weapons it produced. On the other hand Harpers Ferry was somewhat isolated, and was slow to change from the hand craft methods with which it had begun arms production. The results can be seen in the products. Harpers Ferry’s weapons, such as the M1803 and the M1819 breechloaders, were both early production rifles and show ingenuity of design. They have also been called “prettier” because of the greater use of brass and higher level of hand craftsmanship in their manufacture. Springfield’s arms, however, exhibit the characteristics of machine made products: standardization in shape and uniformity of parts. ~~~~~~~~~~ 
Springfield Armory NHS, US NPS The Products of Springfield U.S. Flintlock Musket M1795 .69 caliber SPAR 933 Bayonet M1795 SPAR 943 U.S. Percussion Musket M1842 .69 caliber SPAR 926 Bayonet M1842 SPAR 942 U.S. Percussion Rifle-Musket M1855, .58 caliber SPAR 928 Bayonet M1855 SPAR 940 U.S. Springfield Rifle M1873, .45 caliber SPAR 930 Bayonet M1873 SPAR 944 U.S. Krag-Jorgensen Magazine Rifle M1892, .30 caliber SPAR 935 Bayonet, Krag M1892 SPAR 939 ********** 
Springfield Armory NHS, US NPS U.S. Springfield Magazine Rifle M1903, .30 caliber SPAR 932 Bayonet M1905 SPAR 938 U.S. Semi-Automatic Rifle M1, .30 caliber SPAR 929 Bayonet M1 SPAR 937 U.S. Rifle M14, 7.62 millimeter SPAR 927 Bayonet M6 SPAR 936 ********** Case 54, left side, showing from left to right Springfield Armory weapons of the 20th Century 
Springfield Armory NHS, US NPS The Products of Harpers Ferry U.S. Flintlock Musket M1795 type II, .69 caliber SPAR 951 U.S. Flintlock Rifle M1803, .54 caliber SPAR 947 ********** Case 54 right side, Harpers Ferry flintlock shoulder arms, M1795 and M1803, shown from left to right 
Springfield Armory NHS, US NPS U.S. Flintlock Musket M1816 type III, .69 caliber SPAR 946 U.S. Breech-loading Flintlock Rifle M1819 (Hall’s Patent), .52 caliber SPAR 952 U.S. Percussion Rifle M1841, .54 caliber SPAR 948 U.S. Percussion Musket M1842, .69 caliber SPAR 953 U.S. Breech-loading Percussion Carbine M1842, .52 caliber SPAR 950 U.S. Rifle M1855, .58 caliber SPAR 945 ********** |
Last updated: February 26, 2015