1855 Springfield Use

[FTrooper]

9th and 10th Infantry

Actually, the 9th & 10th Infantries and 1st and 2nd Cavalries never got their experimental weapons authorized in 1855. The 9th and 10th had M1841 rifles reamed out to .58 and fitted with the sword bayonets. At some point even the 2d Infantry ended up with them. Eventually some companies of the 9th was re-equipped with rifled M1842s as they felt they were more accurate. By 1861 the 9th and 10th seem to have been re-equipped with M1855 Rifle Muskets (the 10th carried them in New Mexico). The 6th Infantry was still caring flintlocks in 1851! (but the replacements were in route when that inspection was made).

The Cavalry regiments were equipped with the new M1855 rifled-carbine (not the pistol-carbine), M1841 Rifles, M1847 Musketoons, and M1843 Halls (the 2d Dragoons got wind that the Hall had been ordered to be reissued to the "mounted arm" and tried to re-equip with it at Leavenworth and Riley and tried to stick the 1st Cavalry with musketoons! The two cavalry regiments did not even get a full compliment of Colt Navies, the 2d's 1856 inspection in Texas shows .44 Dragoons and M1842 Horse Pistols as well!!!!!

I LOVE the messed up 1850's troops.

David, Thanks for the 1862 date for replacement of the 1855 rifles in the old regulars. I was curious how long the held onto them. BTW, love the M1836 pistol!

Christopher Fischer
Fort McKavett
&
F-Troop

[FTrooper]

More early war fun!

Just looking at the troops that faced the Sibley brigade can show you how much fun. The regular Cavalry in New Mexico was the 3rd US (old Mounted Rifles) and the 1st Cavalry (old 1st Dragoons) The 3rd was equipped mostly with .58 M1841's, identified as "Harper's Ferry Rifles"...for years I believed that meant M1855 two-banders, but again as I noted earlier I found it did not with the regular regiment (so sad for me). Some members of the 3rd also carried First Model Maynards that they had been testing since 1859 (so YES, the federals DID use the first model). The 1st Dragoons (I thin Just company D) carried both M1852 "slant Breech" Sharps carbines and M1855 .44 Colt revolving long rifles (just like Dixie sells)! The New Mexico Volunteers has .54 M1841's, M1855 Pistol Carbines and M1847 musketoons both rifled and smooth!

Other prewar nightmares include the "NIPPES/Maynards Primer conversion" this were old M1835/40 muskets with Maynard primer boxes added. This was the army test version and is VERY different than the M1855 and Remington conversions as a small box was added to the lockplate instead of inletting it and adding the door. These show up as late as 1857! Also the .58 M1841 with two different sites and two different bayonets, including the famous Snell Bayonet.

Sadly I am away from a book I need for three days, but when I get to it I will post form the 1859 inspection of New Mexico a great note on how messed up the pre-war army could really be in regards to arms!!!

Chris Fischer
Fort McKavett
&
F-Troop

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1855 Springfield Use

Hallo!

"Thanks Curt. Your #3 is what I have seen two of an have been calling the TYPE 1.5 SO the long nose cap usually means figure 8 patchbox? neat!

When you say "short range" site are you referring to the 400yrd version or the two leaf flip? I was referring to the leaf-flip...if your referring to the adjustable 400yrd (as oppsoed to the 500yrd, am I correct in that? found on rifle-muskets) then there is a whole slew of variants not discussed...also, I have seen repro made long iron nose caps...did any such creature really exist???"
The "short range" rear sight is the "ancestor" of the M1861 rear sight, and yes, is the two leaf graduated at 100-300-500 yards.
The "long range" rear sight had two forms, one graduated from 100 to 1000 yards and a later one reduced to 100-900 yards (nicknamed by some collectors as the "Roller Coaster" rear sights because of the side wall profile.

The side wall of the M1855 long range rear sight was stamped 1-5 and the then the ladder had to be raised for the rest of the range.

There are several variations of the "long range" rear sight used on the M1842 rifled-and-sighted alterations which like the M1855 "short range" rear sights also showed up on some of the M1841 Rifle alterations. They typically are graduated to 900 or 100 yards, but the sidewalls only stamped 1-4.

I have always questioned the long iron nose cap as a "maker convenience" the way longrifle parts suppliers simply offer their furniture in brass or steel because it is convenient to use the molds for either whether or not there is any historical documentation for the same parts to exist in BOTH brass and iron versions (which in the artifact pool there is not- but that is a larger 18th century argument). Meaning it is typical to offer copies of furniture from a surviving original and then simply also offer the same furniture in steel.
I may be "dated" and I could be wrong- basing my knowledge on my own research and experience, and what research Paul Davies and my late friend Howard Madaus did, as well as the collector who used to bring his extensive collection of M1855's to the old Ashland Civil War Show (and whose name escapes me at the moment).

Curt

[gsusat]

Re: 1855 Springfield Use

I am a fan of the 1855 rifles as well. On the rear sights my reading between the lines is that when the order came to change to the shorter 2 leaf sight the change was made to the rifle musket then in production, but they wanted to clarify applying that change to the rifle. They continued production of the rifle, albeit without the rear sights and then when the clarification happened went back and installed the rear sights. Evidence seems to indicate that the majority of the brass mounted rifles had the sliding leaf sight added. (from the book on US Rifles mentioned earlier) Again my speculation - but there was so much emphasis in making the brass mounted rifle the ultimate muzzle loading military rifle that having a top of the line rear sight would be very important. Anyway have you ever seen a 1855 rifle without the rear sight dovetail?

The sight on the brass mounted rifle is graduated to 5 (500 yds) on the sides I believe -and I will check when I get home. The Mississippi sights went through several changes. First was the screw sight used with the snell bayonet. The next was the sliding leaf design but soldered on and had different details than the 1855 rifle sight. Then the typical 1855 rifle sight with a dovetail and screw holding it on. The bayonet lug was also changed to match the one used on the 55 rifle (no 1" long key).

The rifle with the rifle belt is such an interesting set. Interesting how quickly all that development work on Burton's bullet and the 1855 model of arms was so quickly outshadowed by all the breechloading weapons.

George Susat
Confederate Guard

[Gary of CA]

Re: 1855 Springfield Use

Mention was made of the fear of a lawsuit for making reproduction Maynard tape. Without being an attorney, one would think that after a century, the patent no longer protects that technology. Remember, patents ran only about thirty years and after that, it was up for grabs and development. I cite the example of the flood of revolvers after Colt's patent expired and another flood when the bored-through cylinder patent for metallic cartridges also expired.

[FTrooper]

Messed up 1850's!

OK Gents, found it. It doesn't get more messed up than this!

This is from Jospeh E. Johnstsons Inspection tour of New Mexico in 1859 as reprinted in Texas and New Mexico on the Eve of the Civil War by Jerry Thompson (2001)

Fort Buchanan October 4th, 1859

"The garrison present is...Capt. Ewell's G, 1st Dragoons...a Capt. and 74 enlisted men including 22 on extra duty and daily duty, 17 sick & 4 confined, with 57 horses, 4 of which are reported "unserviccable"...
...There is, however, a great variety of fire arms, Sharp's, Hall's & the pistol carbine, the rifle (cal. .54) & musketoon-Colt's revolver of both sizes, & the old Dragoon pistols...His sabres are of the old pattern."

The last line is intersting and alot of Dragoon historians have discussed it. M1833 Dragoon Sabres DO show up in the 1st Dragoons as late as the 1850's, BUT a new saber (Light Cavalry Sabre aka M1860) begins production in 1857-58...so it is not 100% sure which one Johnston is referring to as the "old pattern" was it a M1833 or a M1840? Its just in the wrong transition era to document 100%

Chris Fischer
Fort McKavett
&
F-Troop

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1855 Springfield Use

Hallo!

In his patent (No. 4,208) granted September 22, 1845, Edward Maynard described his pellets as being made up of 100 parts of "fulminaitng mercury" and 60 parts "gun powder."

IMHO, while it would be interesting...

Fulminate of mercury is an unstable explosive substance which might create BATFE and HLS problems. Plus "mercury" these daze is its own hazmat curse.

Aside from originals, no one makes a function M1855 lock. Although Rich Cross makes an excellent museum-quality reproduction that can be fitted with the Maynard system parts to make it function.
I shot one in the N-SSA for years with percussion caps, but half way through my first season I omitted the "ratchets" and "hands" as blow-back came through from the nose of the hammer, into the tape slot, and into the backside of the lock through the milling. I filled the tape slot with grease.
;) :)

Plus, aside from the limited or non existant demand, I do not see anyone bucking the Modern World to try produce Maynard primer rolls.

Curt

[David Fox]

Re: 1855 Springfield Use

As an aside, for an article in "Camp Chase Gazette" a couple years ago, I attempted to fire my 1859-dated Harper's Ferry M.1855 rifle-musket using an original priming tape. Tried several strikes. Mechanism functioned perfectly, tape advanced correctly, the priming lumps were dead as Caesar's daddy.

[Foggy Bottom Jim]

Re: 1855 Springfield Use

...While on this topic, does anyone know when the M1855 Rifle-Musket officially startes to disappear from the US Regulars? I am not sure if they are listed seperate or together as .58 cal.? I am just curious as a "regular" how late a person could justify a M1855 as opposed to a M1861 or M1863.

Chris Fischer
Fort McKavett
&
F-Troop

On page 120 of "Echos of Glory" there is a picture of the 8th U.S. at Fairfax Court House in June of 1863. If you download the original photo from the Library of Congress website and enlarge it, it becomes clear that at least 2 1855 rifle-muskets are evident by the long range sights.

[David Fox]

Re: 1855 Springfield Use

Great detective work, Mr. Reynolds!

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1855 Springfield Use

Hallo!

Within the realm of possibility...

The others could conceivably also be M1855 RM's... just the later version with the "short range" rear sights.

(I cannot blow it up with enough resolution to discern the form of the rear sight (1855 versus 1861) or the possible presence of the "Maynard hump.")

Curt