The Harpers Ferry Model 1803 flintlock rifle,During the Revolutionary War American rifleman were a c

The Harpers Ferry Model 1803 flintlock rifle,During the Revolutionary War American rifleman were a common feature of colonial militia.  Acting as marksmen and guerrilla fighters rifleman were able to turn the tides of a few important battles, most notably the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 with the death of British Gen. Simon Frasier at the hands of an American sharpshooter.However, American marksmen of the time did not have a standard military rifle to use.  Instead they used civilian rifles common among pioneers and hunters.  While more accurate than the standard military musket, these rifles, most of them Pennsylvania Long Rifles produced in southeastern PA, were not built for hard use and heavy combat.  They were often long, heavy, and cumbersome as well.In 1803 the US Army decided it needed its own military rifle, inspired by British riflemen as well as German, Austrian, and Scandinavian “jaegers" in Europe. Designed and produced at the new government arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, the new rifle was a flintlock muzzleloader.  It sported new design features that made it more suited to combat. First it was shorter and lighter. While having decreased accuracy compared to the long rifle, the shorter barrel made it easier to carry, load, and clean, and was more resistant to fouling.  Finally the overall design of the lock, stock, and barrel was made to be more suited to the hard use of combat. They had a smaller caliber (.59) that gave them more accuracy and range, whereas most military muskets of the day were over .70 caliber. Unfortunately they were not made with a bayonet mount.The Harpers Ferry Model 1803 would see the most use during the War of 1812.  They were given to special rifleman units, composed of soldiers trained to act as scouts, guerrilla’s, light infantry, and snipers.  Unlike other units they wore green uniforms to blend in with the forest, and carried a tomahawk and dagger for close combat.  Around 20,000 would be produced between 1804 and 1819. -- source link

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