Henry Leman Longrifle
Henry E. Leman Gun Manufactory · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1834
Also known as: Leman Trade Rifle, Leman Indian Trade Rifle, H.E. Leman Longrifle, Leman Plains Rifle
Overview
The Henry Leman Longrifle is an American percussion muzzle-loading rifle produced by Lancaster, Pennsylvania gunmaker Henry E. Leman from the 1830s through the 1880s. Firing a patched .45 caliber round ball from a rifled octagonal iron barrel, it is best known in its 'trade rifle' form: a sturdy, plainly finished half-stock plains rifle with brass furniture, a percussion lock and a set trigger. Leman built these rifles in large numbers under U.S. government contracts for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where they were distributed as treaty annuities and trade goods, and they saw heavy use among fur trappers and buffalo hunters on the Western frontier.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4080 g (143.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1220 mm (48.03") |
| Barrel Length | 838 mm (32.99") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Set Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 550 m/s (1804 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1270 J (937 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 250 m (273 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 1220 mm (48.03") |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Barrel Material | Iron |
| Stock Material | Maple |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- .45 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 45 cal round ball, 11.4mm ball, patched round ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Percussion Lock, Set Trigger, Brass Furniture, Beaver Tail Cheek Piece, Pewter Nose Cap, Half Stock, Patched Round Ball, Muzzle Loader, Rifled Barrel
Service history
Operators
- United States Bureau of Indian Affairs · adopted 1837
- Western fur trappers and frontier hunters
Conflicts
- American Indian Wars (1836-1877)
Production
Production years: 1834-1887
Leman produced roughly 250 rifles in his first year and held a U.S. government contract from 1837 for 1,000 rifles annually, renewed until about 1860. Total lifetime output ran into the tens of thousands but no exact figure survives.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Henry E. Leman
Discontinued: 1887
Notes
Leman offered his trade rifles in several standard calibers (.45, .50, .54 and .58) on a 1-inch octagonal barrel of about 33 inches, with a 14-inch length of pull and a weight near 9 lb. Both flintlock and percussion locks were made, though percussion dominated Leman's later production. Dimensions here reflect a representative .45 caliber example; individual rifles varied by order and period.
Background
Henry E. Leman (1812-1887) trained as a journeyman under Philadelphia gunmaker George W. Tryon before opening his own manufactory in Lancaster around 1834. His mechanized shops, which forged, rifled and finished barrels in separate buildings, made him one of the most prolific American riflemakers of the muzzleloading era, and his name became synonymous with the government-contract 'Indian trade rifle.'