1803 Harpers Ferry Lock Finish?

[emmagee]

How were the locks originally finished on the 1803 Harpers Ferry rifle? Case hardened? Blued? I have searched through my reference books and find no answers....

Thanks!

[Hungry Horse]

My guess would be bright. Most muskets of that period had bright locks.

  Hungry Horse

[Clark Badgett]

My guess would be bright. Most muskets of that period had bright locks.

  Hungry Horse

With muskets, if they had a bright lock, they normally had a bright barrel. The 1803 had a browned barrel I think. In the 1820s, when they browned the M1816 muskets for a few years, they case hardened the locks, IIRC.

[emmagee]

My guess would be bright. Most muskets of that period had bright locks.

  Hungry Horse

With muskets, if they had a bright lock, they normally had a bright barrel. The 1803 had a browned barrel I think. In the 1820s, when they browned the M1816 muskets for a few years, they case hardened the locks, IIRC.

Thank you....I know (or am reasonably certain) that they browned the barrels. On the 1817 Common rifle the locks were case hardened but those were built by contractors (like Deringer). However I have been unable to find any references on this for the 1803.
Half the fun of all of this is the detective work involved!

[120RIR]

I can't speak to the regular production M. 1803 rifles but the first 15 prototypes that appear to have gone on the Lewis & Clark expedition almost certainly had brown lacquered barrels and case-hardened locks.  I got to handle the parts of the #15 rifle researched and copied by the late Ernie Cowan and under the barrel there were a few very small patches of what sure looked like brown lacquer (it definitely was not ruse, dried oil, dirt, etc.) and traces of case hardening could be seen on the inside surface of the lock plate. It wasn't the bright case hardening we're accustomed to seeing but more like a dull mottled grey.  Ernie dug up a period recipe that produced visually comparable results.

[emmagee]

I can't speak to the regular production M. 1803 rifles but the first 15 prototypes that appear to have gone on the Lewis & Clark expedition almost certainly had brown lacquered barrels and case-hardened locks.  I got to handle the parts of the #15 rifle researched and copied by the late Ernie Cowan and under the barrel there were a few very small patches of what sure looked like brown lacquer (it definitely was not ruse, dried oil, dirt, etc.) and traces of case hardening could be seen on the inside surface of the lock plate. It wasn't the bright case hardening we're accustomed to seeing but more like a dull mottled grey.  Ernie dug up a period recipe that produced visually comparable results.

Excellent, thank you! This is exactly the information I was looking for. I have a nice 1803 built with a combination of Rifle Shoppe parts and a Davis lock but the builder left the lock bright. I didn't think this was right. So casehardening it is! As to the brown lacquer, the 1819 Hall was browned and lacquered as well in the same way. There are more than a few Hall rifles in very high condition and they are finished that way.
Thank you again!

[smart dog]

Hi,
According to Hartzell and Whisker's book on Harper's Ferry Arsenal, all iron hardware except the barrels were polished bright.  Undoubtedly, the lock plates and flint cocks were case hardened but any colors were likely polished off on the outside.

dave

[Bob Roller]

Hi,
According to Hartzell and Whisker's book on Harper's Ferry Arsenal, all iron hardware except the barrels were polished bright.  Undoubtedly, the lock plates and flint cocks were case hardened but any colors were likely polished off on the outside.

dave

National Armory bright gets my vote.
Bob Roller

[emmagee]

Dave and Bob, thank you both! I don't have the book you cite...maybe I need to get it!

Thanks again

[emmagee]

Just ordered the book. I am a sucker for a good reference book.

[David Rase]

My research from when I built mine told me that the locks were hardened and tempered, then polished back to white.
David

[120RIR]

Hmmm...that's two votes for hardened and then polished back. Do we have period references for that?  Assuming so that'd be great.  Thanks!

[smart dog]

Hmmm...that's two votes for hardened and then polished back. Do we have period references for that?  Assuming so that'd be great.  Thanks!

Hi,
If you read my earlier post, I mention Hartzler and Whisker's book on Harpers Ferry.  However, I suspect their information about the different models of firearms came partly at least from Merritt Smith's book "Harper's Ferry and the New Technology" published in 1980, which was based on primary sources and records from the arsenal.   Smith's is probably the definitive history of the arsenal.

dave

[emmagee]

I would like to thank everyone who responded to my post. New reference books are on the way!