US Model 1816 .69 Caliber Rifle

By Crusader1307

With The American War of 1812, came many failings noted with US military arms. Many previous models developed had many flaws (proven on the battlefield). The Government attempted to correct these problems with the design of the Model 1816 Rifle. It was 42-inches long and 10-punds in weight. The rifle fired a .69 caliber round lead shot - with an effective range of 200 yards. The lock plate was made longer and it had a shorter trigger guard. Fitted with a longer bayonet, over 675,000 were produced (more than any gun produced up to that period). Although a flintlock, many were converted into the Percussion version, when that technology became available. A versatile gun, the 1816 Model was use by many State Militias. It was the weapon of choice during The Texas War for Independence against Mexico. This weapon remained in the US arsenal until 1862 (although some were still used by the fledgling Confederate Army during The American Civil War). The Model 1816 was considered the workhorse of the US weapons systems for many generations.