Legitamate Inline...

[bdhutier]

Came across this while researching a revolver on another board:

UNIQUE CONFEDERATE RIFLE AND THE ONLY KNOWN INSTANCE IN WHICH A BREECH-LOADING WEAPON WAS OFFICIALLY CHANGED TO A MUZZLE-LOADER AND ACTUALLY ISSUED FOR MILITARY USE! Always known to be of Confederate origin they were believed (by earlier researchers) to have been assembled from parts captured at Harper’s Ferry in 1861 and altered by J. B. Barrett of Wytheville, Virginia. Subsequent extensive research has proven these unusual conversions were actually made from full flintlock and percussion Hall breech-loading rifles and carbines already in Virginia arsenals at the outbreak of the Civil War and ALTERED BY N. T. READ AND J. T. WATSON OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA IN 1862-1863 for Virginia State Troops. The story is best told in great detail with fine detailed photos in the classic reference Confederate Rifles and Muskets” by Murphy and Madaus (1996).

http://www.flayderman.com/ About 1/5 the way down...

 

[wattlebuster]

Thats a new one on me

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Good photos. They have been known for years. The conversions ended up being issued to the Virginia Militia, the conversion worked but apparently not that well so once better arms were available they were withdrawn from front line service with the Virginia troops.

 

[Jason Lewis]

i wonder why they bothered to make the conversion in the first place.

 

[tg]

I do not know that that would be an inline by todays definition as the nipple is angled into the barrel like a side lock only from above and behind, there were past types of flint and caplock which would be true inlines but I do not see that in this gun, the revolvers are inline ignition but not truekly MLs/

 

[charcoal]

It was probably an improvement over the Halls design, which leaked so bad at the breech that the muzzle velocity/energy was severly compromised.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Gas leakage aside, the Hall rifles and carbines had a tendency to get fouled in rapid fire use making the breach section difficult to open and close When this happend they had to be loaded from the muzzle - that is why the Hall Rifle was made with a ramrod from the beginning and why it never attained widespread issue as a standard weapon. The Hall Rifle used the same cartridge as was used in the M1803/M1814/M1819/M1841 US Rifles and the ball, which fit the Hall breach quite comfortably was larger than the bore allowing it to swage down to bore size and take the rifling quite nicely. While this had it's advantages, it made muzzle loading the Hall difficult to say the least. As muzzle loaders they required a slightly smaller round ball than that which was standard for the standard US .54 Rifles.

 

[Stumpkiller]

It's not an in-line. The flash channel is at an angle and not in line with the bore's axis. It's a symmetrical lock (rather than a side lock). ;-)

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Hey Stumpy, symmetry is a good thing, right? :haha:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Balance is important; symmetry just means you don't have to make a choice. ;-)

 

[freekforge]

If by breech loading you mean metallic cartridges were loaded into the breech :idunno: the reason could be the confederates did not have the industrial capabilities to mass produce metallic cartridges which is why the Henry and Spencer etc. were rarely used in the south.

 

[Zonie]

Back in those days the thin metal cartridge was seldom used.

A "cartridge" was made from either a cloth or paper, wrapped around a wooden dowel. The ball was stuck in one end with a string tied on either side of the ball and the gunpowder was poured into the other end. The bottom was either tied or glued shut.

To use them the powder end was torn open, the powder poured into the flash pan and down the barrel and the ball, sometimes unwrapped and sometimes not was then rammed down on top of the powder.

Cartridges like this were used from way before the Revolutionary War thru the Civil War.

 

[freekforge]

I understand that, i make paper cartridges for my deerhunter,. what i was saying is i wasn't sure if this was a paper cartridge breech loader like some sharps or a metallic cartridge breech loader like later sharps Henrys and Spencers etc. if it shoots metallic cartridges that could be the reason it was converted.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

If by breech loading you mean metallic cartridges were loaded into the breech :idunno: the reason could be the confederates did not have the industrial capabilities to mass produce metallic cartridges which is why the Henry and Spencer etc. were rarely used in the south.

The Hall Rifle, first produced in flint at the Harpers Ferry arsenal in 1819, didn't used a "modern" brass cartridge, it used the standard paper cartridge used in all US rifles. With the breach open, the tail of the cartridge was torn and the powder poured into the chamber, then the ball was inserted on top of the powder and the breach section was snapped back down and into place. The gun was primed (if percussion with a cap and if flint with powder) and it was ready to fire.

 

[freekforge]

i need to start reading all the posts i just realized you had the years listed :redface:. i guess another reason would be it seams like it would be a pain to open the breech after a couple shots.

 

[hawkeye2]

Someone was making reproductions of these a few years ago. My neighbour, now deceased, was turning out the stocks for them.

 

[Dphar]

I guess the Ballard percussions would be "inlines" too :yakyak:

Dan

 

[Rifleman1776]

No one denies inlines existed 'back then'. And they all came from Wal-Mart in shrink wrap too. :wink:

 

[rickystl]

Just a passing note: Back in the early-mid 1960's Viking Arms purchased and converted original Egyptian Remington Rolling Block Rifles to percussion. Have no idea how they did it, but always wanted to see one. :haha:

 

[crockett]

I have heard for years that an in-line system is HC. A few month's ago there was an article in MuzzleBlasts of two historically correct flintlock in-lines- for anyone that is interested. If I recall one was of German make. The system fouled badly- the reason sidelocks predominated.