Springfield Model Rifle Musket Contractors

[KPavia]

Hello
I thought that this could be of use to somebody so I typed it up and hope that someone can use the information found.

The attached PDF is a table compiled from Senate Executive Document
No. 16, 45th Congress, 3rd Session, p.75

It is a table of the Contractors, Dates of Contract, Price per weapon, and total number produced of Springfield Model Rifel Muskets throughout the war.

[pvtbordonaro]

Re: Springfield Model Rifle Musket Contractors

Kenny,
Very interesting information. Thanks for posting it. It's interesting to note that the price of the contract Springfield did not go up throughout the course of the war. In some cases it went down!
- Joe Bordonaro

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Springfield Model Rifle Musket Contractors

The contract amount did vary, but rarely were contractors awarded full payment for arms delivered. That is because the US Government inspectors rated them 1st, 2nd, 2 1/2, 3rd, and 4th class. They reduced the amount paid based on the inspection. Colt was the only contractor to have 100% of their weapons in class one. Bridesburg (Alfred Jenks) was just slightly behind Colt Mfg.

It should be Parkers', Snow & Co (not Parker) and Norwich not Norwick.

[Bill]

Re: Springfield Model Rifle Musket Contractors

In actual fact, some of these weapons were not "Springfields" as such, but "Special Model 1861 Contract Rifle-Muskets". These weapons were manufactured by Colt, Lamson, Goodnow & Yale, and Amoskeag. I believe Colt had the patent on these weapons.

It seems Colt sold about 75,000 of these weapons to the Federal Government and another 25,000 to various states, especially New Jersey. (Per Flayderman's)