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Title:	RIFLE, MILITARY -  U.S. RIFLE JOSLYN .56-50RF SN# 1580
Maker/Manufacturer:	JOSLYN, BENJAMIN F.
Date of Manufacture:	1865
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 2504
Measurements:	OL:132.7CM 52 1/4" BL: 90.1CM 35 1/2" 9.8 lbs.

Object Description:

U.S. RIFLE JOSLYN .50-60RF SN# 1580
Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. in 1865 - Approximately 3,005 of these produced by SPAR in 1865 making it the first breechloading metallic cartridge produced here in quantity. Chambered for .50-60-450 Joslyn rimfire cartridge, will also accept Spencer 56-50 rimfire cartridge.

Markings:
Breech: B.F. JOSLYN'S PATENT/OCT. 8 1861 JUNE 24 1862.
Breechblock and barrel tang: M/1580.
Lock: 1864 rear of hammer. Eagle. U.S./SPRINGFIELD forward of hammer.
Bands: U.
Buttplate: US.

Weapon transferred to the Museum from Fort Monroe in August, 1909.

Exhibit label: "JOSLYN RIFLE .56 caliber, 1865, 3307 made. Produced at Springfield Armory with actions supplied by the Joslyn Co., this was the first breech-loader made at the Armory."

Notes: "In April, 1865, the Springfield Board recommended the adoption of the 'Peabody' breech-loading rifle, and expressed the opinion that the Spencer Magazine-carbine combined more advantages than any other magazine arm presented. The recommendation of the 'Peabody' rifle was not approved by the War Department, but the manufacture of the 'Joslyn' was undertaken at the Armory, about three thousand of them being made in 1865. Reports from the field being very unfavorable to this arm, its manufacture was discontinued, and measures were taken in July of that year for the alteration of five thousand upon the 'Allin' system." - Major Charles H. Clark, Ordnance Department

"In early 1871, one thousand six hundred Joslyns made at the Springfield Armory in 1865 were now converted to take the 50/70 centerfire cartridge. These Springfield Joslyn rifles were converted by rechambering, plugging the original firing pin hole and fitting a new firing pin in the middle of the breechblock. These rifles are found with mixed serial numbers.
In February of 1871, all one thousand six hundred of the 50/70 Springfield Joslyn rifles were sold by the government to Thomas Richardson for $15.50 each. At this same time, Richardson also purchased ten thousand Springfield .50 caliber trapdoor rifles at $21.60 each. These arms were then sent to France for the Franco-Prussian War. It is believed that the Springfield Joslyn rifles were captured by the Germans and in turn were sold by them to Belgium. Here, they were converted to shotguns for use in Africa.
The U.S. Government was still selling these rifles as late as December 23, 1892 when fifteen were sold at a price of $1 each. The 1907 Francis Bannerman catalog listed these rifles at a price of $3.85." - John D. McAulay

"Benjamin F. Joslyn of Worcester, Massachusetts, received the following U.S. patents all for breech-loading firearms:
13,507 of 8/28/1855
15,240 of 7/1/1856
35,688 of 6/24/1862
39,045 and 39,047, all dated 8/4/1863
42,000 of 3/22/1864
48,073 of 6/20/1865
48,288 of 6/20/1865
He also received revolver patents:
42,379 of 2/7/1865
48,073 of 4/19/1865
as well as a number of post-war firearms patents. Patent references stamped in the Springfield Joslyn rifle-muskets refer only to the dated of 8 October 1861 and 24 June June 1862.
During the Civil War U.S. Ordnance Department purchased 11,261 Joslyn carbines and 1100 revolvers produced under patent 20,160 of 4 May 1858. The model arms were made by W.C. Freeman of Worcester and A.H. Waters of Millbury, Connecticut. Waters manufactured the Joslyn rifles and carbines of the model of 1855. The main Civil War production was done at the Joslyn Firearms Company of Stonington, Connecticut. Little was known of the production of the Springfield pattern breech-loading rifled musket until 1972 when documentary evidence was located that proved that some 3007 Joslyn rifled muskets had been manufactured at Springfield Armory. Although it used a barrel of only 35.5 inch length (instead of the heretofore standard 40 inch length), the barrel was secured to the fore-stock by three bands, thereby qualifying it for classification as a rifle-musket.
Contrary to earlier published reports, the Joslyn was decidedly not a post-war conversion of a Spring the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. Many, if not all, of these converted arms were shipped for sale in the lucrative African trade.
To date these there is little evidence Joslyn rifle-muskets were used any battles of the Civil War although it is possible that some were deployed in some late engagement. It is more likely that, like the Palmer and Ball carbines, they appeared too late to have been issued and used." - Hartzler, Yantz, and Whisker

References:
Hartzler, Daniel D. & Larry W. Yantz & James B. Whisker. THE U.S. MODEL 1861 SPRINGFIELD RIFLE-MUSKET. Tom Rowe Publications. 2000.