"Earliest production of M1861 Springfield" Topic

"Question: Do any of you out there have documented information on the date that the M1861 actually began production at Springfield Armory, and when were the first finished '61s shipped?

…Springfield Armory ended US M1855 production with 9,002 in early 1861. 33,572 US M1861 rifle muskets are recorded for that year. I believe the date for the end of US M1855 production is the end of April or early May 1861. In a letter dated April 19, 1861, Springfield Armory Superintendent Wright requested from the Chief of Ordnance, Col. Craig, permission to modify the US M1855 by eliminating the Maynard primer and the patchbox. Permission was granted four days later. The modified weapon is known to us as the US M1861 rifle musket…I suspect that you could argue for the M1861 being present [in Missouri in August 1861], but it would be a long shot unless the troops are from the northeast US and had just arrived. I mention this because we have records of newly-raised Massachusetts volunteer infantry (10th Mass Vol Inf, etc.) being armed directly from Springfield Armory arsenals here in June & July 1861, a few months after production of the US M1861 rifle muskets began."…"

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