Harpers Ferry Model 1805
Harpers Ferry Armory · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1806
Also known as: Model 1806, U.S. Model 1805 Pistol
Overview
The Harpers Ferry Model 1805 was the first pistol manufactured by a United States military arsenal. A single-shot .54 caliber flintlock 'horseman's pistol' with a 10-inch smoothbore steel barrel, brass mountings and a curved walnut grip, it was produced at the Harpers Ferry Armory in Virginia (now West Virginia) between 1806 and 1808. Issued in matched pairs with identical serial numbers, it equipped mounted troops in the early decades of the 19th century.
Specifications
| Overall Length | 400 mm (15.75") |
| Barrel Length | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Effective Range | 20 m (22 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 60 m (66 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- .54 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 54 cal round ball, 13.7mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Features: Front Fixed Sight, Brass Furniture, Curved Grip, Wooden Ramrod, Muzzle Loader, Horsemans Pistol
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1805 · as Model 1805
Conflicts
- War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Production
Estimated total produced: 4,000 · Production years: 1806-1808
Over 4,000 examples; the first American pistol made by a US military arsenal
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1808
Notes
Often catalogued as the Model 1806 because production ran 1806-1808. Over 4,000 were produced. Smoothbore despite some catalog references to rifled examples; reproductions are sometimes made in .58 caliber.
Background
The Harpers Ferry Armory that built this pistol was the same federal arsenal John Brown's raiders seized in 1859, an event that helped ignite the American Civil War.