POTD: First Well Liked Breechloader – 1819 Hall Breech Loading Flintlock
Sam.S 08.03.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a unique take on musketry. This is the 1819 Hall Breech Loading Flintlock. The M1819 Hall rifle, invented by John Hancock Hall, was a pioneering breech-loading flintlock adopted by the U.S. Army in 1819. Produced at the Harpers Ferry Arsenal from the 1820s-1840s, this novel rifle broke from muzzle-loading tradition with its breech-loading design. In 1840, Captain James Huger’s innovative “fishtail” breech lever was incorporated into 7,000 updated carbines. Then came the Hall-North in 1843, the “improved 1840,” sporting a side-mounted breech lever designed by Henry North and Edward Savage.
“The Model 1819 Hall was the first widely issued military breech loading firearm and the first firearm manufactured with totally interchangeable parts. This one is dated “1839” on the breech block. They are known to have been issued to the 6th U.S. Infantry which took part in the earlier Black Hawk War and the Seminole War. It has the standard markings and features for the third production type (usually 1837-1840), with a removable collection mark on the trigger guard. Includes a socket bayonet.”
Lot 305: U.S. Harpers Ferry Model 1819 Hall Breech Loading Flintlock – U.S. Harpers Ferry Model 1819 Hall Breech Loading Flintlock Rifle Dated 1839 with Bayonet. (n.d.-n). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved August 2, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/77/305/us-harpers-ferry-model-1819-hall-breech-loading-flintlock.
