Early Troubles

Why Colt had so much trouble in turning in the first muskets cannot now be surmised. In the development stages, everything went smoothly. On April 19, the day after Fort Sumter was bombarded, Colt took the cars to Washington, but was stopped in New York by a flare-up of his sickness. He wrote to his friend Gideon Welles, offering the services of his factory, saying he would send Root to see him, and “shall suspend individual orders for military arms.” The mails were interrupted but Welles queried his peer, Cameron, on the matter and Cameron responded that he could not say until he knew what kinds of arms Colt proposed to make, but that of his revolving pistols, “it is the opinion of the department that a sufficient supply should be kept constantly on hand, and we have none now.”

Meanwhile, Colt had secured a Springfield rifle musket for his brother-in-law Jarvis to take to England as a pattern. That it was a Maynard primed gun is suggested by the express instruction that Jarvis was to get all the plain military locks he could—in our experience, all military locks are “plain,” unless they be “patent,” such as the Maynard or Sharps lockplates.
But at Springfield Armory on May 18, 1860, a board of officers had recommended changes in the Ml855 pattern. While they approved the use of the patchbox, suggesting adoption of an improved round form, this was later rescinded. But they did suggest abandoning the Maynard primer, and “that no more arms of this kind be made after those in progress are finished.” That the change was not at once instituted is shown by the existence of a very few dated 1861 Maynard primed Springfield and Harpers Ferry lockplates. Springfield superintendent George Dwight noted on April 30, 1861, that the Armory was on an 11 Vi hour shift, and:
The omission of the Maynard Primer will not retard the production of arms and the machinery will be adapted without embarrassment to change for the percussion locks.
The production is now 60 muskets per day. By the change the number will be much increased.
Colt then wrote to Ripley, having heard of these changes, and asked on May 13 if he could have three pattern muskets sent over. These were to have “such modifications and improvements as have been made by your department to guide us.” At this time, Colt still did not have a contract to manufacture, but he was proceeding as if he did; his assurance was based on the realization that he could get a contract, and if he couldn’t get a contract (for some fantastic and unforeseeable reason) he could still sell them to the states. At present, the amount of his risk was three Springfield percussion muskets, which he offered to pay for or return, at Ripley’s pleasure.
Between then and May 10, the Special Model was taking form. On May 10, Sam Colt informed Jarvis he should have the barrels in England of “the Enfield pattern so far as the cone seat is concerned.” This was because the Government had stopped the Maynard primer production, “and hence the cone seats will hereafter be made more like the Enfield barrels, and the cones located nearer the barrels.” The reasoning behind this Colt also stated: “This avoids the necessity of forging so great a projection upon the butt of the barrel for the cone seat, and it will reduce the labor and expense of forging and making the barrels.
“I think in one of your letters,” Colt reminded Jarvis, “you say that the barrel makers charged you one shilling extra for this very part being required to correspond with our Springfield pattern.”
Economy in barrel making, cheaper split bands with no extra springs, lock parts some of which could be obtained from England and on which he knew costs to a mill; all these totaled the “improved” Special Model 1861 for Colt.
Elisha Root prepared a model musket for discussion with Ripley and Dwight; while the latter, following Ripley’s orders, had been preparing a model musket of his own. Ripley suggested the lockplate should be flush with the stock, setting the cone further in, making a more direct flash to the charge. The only extant arms which would conform to this pattern are the odd Whitney special type-1861 muskets and short rifles. As a special hammer is necessary to strike in the correct alignment with the cone, using the new special barrel with improved cone seat, it is not reasonable to assume these Whitney arms are “mixed models.” They are a distinct pattern and may reflect the intent of Springfield to make a thin lockplate arm with lock set flush, as a distinct model. Special ’61 barrels do not fit regular ’61 locks, nor vice versa. But with the pressure of production for War upon them, changing the lock tools was obviously undesirable; while reducing the thickness of the plate also was bad, since it reduced the bearing of the tumbler.
First actual mention of this Special Model officially is in General Ripley’s letter to Springfield superintendent Dwight of June 15, in which he refers to making the lockplate flush without Maynard primer, band “after the fashion of the English,” and any other modifications that might be advantageous. Dwight was to take all this into consideration and incorporate them into a model musket for Ripley to examine. As Colt was “about to commence” making similar guns, Ripley suggested that Master Armorer E. S. Allin and Root should confer on these changes to avoid delay and inconvenience, “and use the result of their joint consultation in making up the new musket,” Ripley concluded.
By June 29, Root had finished a sample musket in Colt’s armory, which he was planning to send to Dwight for examination. Dwight also had made a model arm. It is probable both guns incorporated the modified Enfield bands, used the regular Ml861 butts and trigger guards, and may have had two different locks. It is logical to think Dwight would have followed Ripley’s suggestions; while Root would have used the Enfield parts inside the lockplate. But of interest is the fact that Ripley’s suggestions seem to have originated with Colt in an interview. After being laid low by an attack of “inflammatory rheumatism” on April 20, Colt had recuperated somewhat and some time before June 15 visited Washington. On June 29 Colt telegraphed to Ripley that Hon. George Ashmun was acting in his behalf. Ashmun was authorized to “arrange a contract for rifled muskets of a pattern to be established for future make at Springfield and by us.” As to the model musket, Colt promised to send Root down to Washington with “a sample of the Springfield Rifle which we have just finished with the alterations suggested by you when I was in Washington.”
Colt and Root went to New York; then Root continued July 1 on to Washington, taking the Colt Armory model musket. Ripley suggested one or two further points of change—what, exactly, cannot now be surmised. Root departed with the model musket, to call on Dwight and Allin at Springfield.
“When they have reached satisfactory conclusions in regard to all points, let a model musket be made, and send to this office for authorization, and a duplicate of it be retained at the armory,” ordered Ripley. Root carried more than the musket, that July 5; he carried also the contract signed by General Ripley, calling for 25,000 rifle muskets “of the exact pattern of the muskets made at the United States armory at Springfield, according to sample to be furnished to the contracting party.” Sam Colt signed the paper July 8, and the deal was made. To deliver, took more time.
As Root later testified before the Commissioners, the work force was turned to making pistols and they could not devote the manpower needed for making tools; hence had to buy them outside. Jarvis had managed to send over portions of the three sets of barrel rolling machinery, but not all the bits and pieces were in each shipment. Setting-up instructions were lacking, and this caused much transoceanic correspondence and further delay. Uncertainty caused by the colonel’s illhealth contributed, and the armory force was partly diverted by remodelling Harpers Ferry rifles.
As Root’s engineers readied the works for full-scale production of the new Special Model 1861 Rifle Musket, the colonel dabbled in altering surplus arms. A rifle which Colt remodelled is the U. S. Rifle, Caliber .54, Model 1841. Variously known as Mississippi Rifle, Yaeger, Yanger, Yerger, Windsor rifle, Whitney rifle, Kentucky rifle, this popular, highly accurate round-ball military arm was due for a face lifting wherever found from 1855 on. Adoption of the new .58 caliber caused many of the Ml 841 arms to be called in to one or another shop and there rebored and rifled to .58 Minie, fitted with the 1855 type long range rear sight, and either with or without stock changes, being fitted often with a front bayonet stud for the 1855 sword bayonet.