M1819 Hall rifle

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The M1819 Hall rifle was a single-shot breech loading rifle designed by Captain John H. Hall, patented on May 21 1811, and adopted by the U.S. Army in 1819. It used a falling breech design and was made with either flint-lock or percussion cap ignition systems. The main years of production were from the 1820’s to the 1830s at Harpers Ferry Arsenal. This was the first breech loading rifle to be adopted in large numbers by any nation's army, but not the first breech loading military rifle - the Ferguson rifle was used briefly by the British Army in the revolutionary war. Breech loading rifles remained overshadowed by common muskets and muzzle loading rifles so prevalent in the early 1800s. The early flintlocks were mostly converted to percussion ignition.

The back several inches of the "barrel" (the chamber) is a separate piece that pivots upwards from the front for reloading. In essence you still load the ball & charge front to back, but in a short section, very similar in concept to loading a cylinder of an early cap & ball revolver. Envision a short stubby pistol held tightly to a long barrel through which the bullet will travel, and you will understand the concept of the Hall rifle.

The development was primarily the work of Hall, who had been working on a design in the first two decades of the 19th century, receiving critical patents during the time. The work caught the interest of Army, which lead to the contract at the end of the latter decade. The breech loading design was made possible by his focus on using carefully machined components to form an effective seal, but still allowing enough tolerance for the breech to be opened easily.

Thousands of rifles were made, though the troops and many leaders preferred the simplicity and lower costs of muzzle loaded weapons. However, the advantages were clear, and breech loading designs would grow to dominate rifle procurement after the Civil War. Many of the lessons learned by Hall would benefit designers of the next generation of breech loaders such as the Sharps rifle,1848, Spencer carbine,1860 and others.

The Halls were used against Indians and in smaller conflicts. Some saw service in the Civil War; however, by this time many rifles were worn out over 30 years of use.

As part of the process, Hall built his own shops and machinery at Harper's Ferry, and along with inventing this weapon, he invented many machines paving the way for uniform manufacturing of weapons with interchangeable parts. The ruins of his shops are still visible today.