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Mdl 1816 Harpers Ferry Markings

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Odentheviking

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Hello All, I have a few Mdl 1816 Harpers Ferry Muskets and some other parts/pieces. I read/study as much as I can about the 1816 Model US musket and the Harpers Ferry made muskets. 1822 to 1844 dated muskets I have seen, all have a single digit number from "1" thru "8" stamped on every part but the lock and stock. I have never found that anyone has every attempted to explain these stampings.

Were these used so that one man could build several muskets w/out getting parts mixed up?

Were these used to I.D. the worker that built that musket?

Were these used in the conversion to perc. process to keep parts with the correct stocks?

Your thoughts............
 
Most likely they are worker ID numbers. Harper's Ferry armory had fully adopted the piece-rate accounting method by 1816. This method recorded the production by each armorer and measured their output in terms of individual operations performed on single components rather than on complete assemblies. Although this concept existed at Springfield as early as 1806, that armory didn't adopt it in its entirety until 1818. I'm a little surprised that there are no such numbers on the locks since by 1816 lock making had been divided into 21 separate occupations, 7 in forging, 11 in filing and 3 in finishing. I have seen such number stamps on a few locks of that period. The stock was the only part not affected by this in 1816. The same workman continued to fashion the stock from a rough blank to final finish until stock turning machinery started taking over.
 
Quote: "Most likely they are worker ID numbers."
Thank you Sir for the reply, I was just reading about the "piece-rate" system employed by H.F. and Sf. I would agree with you if not for a couple things I thought of.......
If this is a worker I.D. mark than that would mean there was only 8 persons making all the parts for this model musket but for the stock and the lock. Most often one musket will have all the same number marked, this would mean that one person would have to be good at, or required to, make every single part. It would make more sense to me that if I was good at barrel bands.....and could make them fast..... I would make nothing but bands and mark them all #"2". This way you might see many muskets with #2 bands and #6 screws, but most original pieces you see have all matching numbers.
On the flat opposite the lock most stocks have been stamped w/a "V",(or two), and inspector marks. The ones by the trigger are said to be of the stock inspector, and the set down by the toe/wrist notch are the overall musket inspector.
The locks I have seen are full of all kinds of marks,(mostly alphabet single character), always with a large "V", but never a number that matches those on the other parts.
I tend to believe that the numbers showed that these parts belonged to take stock. Interchangeable parts would not be standard until the Mdl 1842.
 
I'd also guess inspector or assembler's code or possibly code to keep fitted parts together. Interchangeable parts didn't really exist until Hall started developing the idea for his M.1817 raise-breech guns.
 
Quote: "I'd also guess inspector or assembler's code or possibly code to keep fitted parts together."
This is the only thing that makes sense to me!
Many years ago,(when i first started to collect), I picked up a very nice 1836 Dated HF Musket, only down side to it was someone had polished all the metal. The bands were stamped "8", the trigger group and area parts stamped "6", and the butt plate and screws stamped "4". I was told at the time that this was a "One in 1,000 musket that was inspected and stamped at the factory". It was only later that I discoveed ALL HF Muskets have this number stamp and most match. When I look at this musket now, it is hard to believe the parts from three differant muskets fit this stock so tightly/correctly. I have been rebuilding/fixing Mdl 1816 HF muskets for years now and have not been able to get sets from differant muskets to fit on another stock..... it just does not work!

It is just hard for me to believe that if the Factory had a system of stamping the parts..... that they would only do it on the Mdl 1816 and that there are no official records about this system.
 
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