American State Papers, Military Affairs, "Description of the United States Armory at Springfield, Massachusetts" (1819)

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At Springfield, in the county of Hampden, and commonwealth of Massachusetts, the United States have as extensive establishment for the manufacture of arms. "The original site of this manufactory is also a military post, which is a perfectly level elevated plat, situated about half a mile east of the village, from which there is a gradual ascent, flanked on the north by a deep ravine, and on the south by a less considerable one, with an extensive plain spreading in the rear, the adjacent parts being uncovered, fronting on the brow of the declivity, and commanding an extensive and beautifully variegated landscape."

At the armory on the hill "there is one brick building, 204 by 32 feet, two stories high, divided into eight rooms, occupied by lock filers, stuckers, and finishers. One brick forging shop, 130 by 32 feet, of one story, containing eleven double forges, used for forging the limbs of locks," breech pins, screw pins, ramrods, "and repair tools." One brick building, 60 by 32 feet, two stories high, with a paved cellar under the whole, used for storing iron, steel, oil, &c; the first story is occupied as offices for superintendent, master armorer, and clerks; the second story, forming a large and spacious hall, is devoted to religious worship, and as a chapel was dedicated to the service of God, on the 13th day of May, 1817, by the Rev. Titus Strong, of Greenfield. One building, 100 by 40 feet, two stories high, also of brick, for the deposite of arms; two military stores; a carpenter's shop; a file cutter's shop; a coal and proof house; and brick shop, fire proof, 32 by 16 feet, with three furnaces, one for hardening ramrods, one for nealing work, and one for a brass foundry; two stores for forged work, one for files, and seventeen dwelling houses. One pay office, ordinance yard, magazine, block house, and lumber yard. On the large shop first mentioned is a handsome cupola and bell, from which is an interesting view of Connecticut river and the surrounding country.

The aforesaid buildings are arranged northerly of the great State road leading to Boston, bordering on a large flat square piece of ground, fenced and set out with trees, around which is a road about 60 feet wide, leading to several dwelling houses occupied by the officers and workmen; the whole assuming a handsome and regular appearance.

In this establishment are employed from 240 to 250 workmen, who complete on an average about forty-five muskets daily. The works may be increased to almost any extent. The water privileges already owned by the United States will warrant the extension to thirty thousand stands annually.

This extensive manufactory is under the direction of a principal, who is styled superintendent, who has the chief management of the business of the armory; provides, contracts for, and purchases all stock, tools, and materials necessary for manufacturing arms; engages the workmen, determines their wages, and prescribes the necessary regulations for the local government of the establishment. To aid him in the important duties of the armory, there are allowed a master armorer, who manages the mechanical operations, and is held accountable for all stores, tools, and materials put under his charge for the use of the armory, and for the correct workmanship of the muskets, and a paymaster and storekeeper, whose duty it is to liquidate and pay all debts contracted by the superintendent for the armory, and receive the finished arms, for which he is held accountable, as well as for all other public property delivered him. Each of the above officers is allowed a clerk, to aid in keeping all accounts. There is also a foreman, or assistant master armorer, to each principal branch of the work, viz: of forged work, one inspector of welded, bored, and ground barrels, mounting bayonets and ramrods; one of the lock filers; one of the stockers; and one of the finishers. They are severally held accountable for all stock, tools and parts of work, delivered them for their respective departments, who severally hold the individual workmen responsible for all stock, tools, or parts of work delivered to them. Each assistant master armorer, or foreman is inspector in the several branches, and is responsible for the faithful and correct performance of the work. Each individual puts on the work he executes his own private mark, as do the inspectors, when they examine and approve of the various parts of the musket. Thus, in case of any defect, the delinquent may readily be found. Monthly returns of work are made to the superintendent, from which the monthly pay-roll is made. . . .

The situation of this establishment is remarkably pleasant and healthy; being sixty miles from the nearest seaport in a thickly inhabited country, it is perfectly safe from an invading foe, and still has water communication to within a few rods of the armory. Materials for the manufacturing of arms may be obtained in great abundance, on reasonable terms. The number of arms completed in the year 1817 exceeded 13,000, with an increase of the several parts of the musket; and the works are so arranged, that in the year 1818 15,000 stands may be made by the same number of hands, (250, including officers,) and for about the same expense. Good professional armorers, in considerable numbers, can at any time be added to the works, if necessary, for reasonable wages. The necessaries of life are abundant, and can at all times be procured at a moderate price.

On the whole, it is believed that there is not a situation in the United States where arms can be made for a sum, and where so many important advantages combine, as renders this station eligible for a grand national establishment. . . .

The number of workmen now employed is 244, viz:

7 Barrel welders, who work by the piece. 10 Polishers, who work by the piece.

7 Barrel borers, who work by the piece. 9 Drillers, millers, and turners, who work by the piece.

5 Lock forgers, who work by the piece. 5 Barrell finishers, who work by the piece.

2 Bayonet forgers, who work by the piece. 42 Lock filers, who work by the piece.

8 Mounting forgers, who work by the piece. 12 Mounting filers, who work by the piece.

2 Gun rod forgers, who work by the piece. 35 Stockers, who work by the piece.

6 Trip hammer's men, who work by the piece. 14 Finishers, who work by the piece.

18 Forgemen and trip hammer men's assistants, who work by the piece. 52 Jobbers, or those men who work by the day including carpenters and nullwrights.

10 Grinders, who work by the piece.

The number of jobbers ordinarily employed is forty; it being now increased, in consequence of the building a forge for making bar iron from the scraps, &c. made at the works.

The price paid for the working of each piece have been settled by the superintendent, upon the result of each experiment. It is calculated that good industrious men will be able to earn $1 40 per day. Upon this basis the prices have been established. The workmen earn now from $20 to $60 per month; such is the difference in the skill, industry, and ambition of men of the same trade. There are, however, but three or four in the 244 who are up to $60 per month. The average price paid is about $35 per month, or about $1 35 per day, allowing that they work twenty-five days in the month.

The jobbers are men who work by the day, and are paid $1 to $1 75 per day when they work. The usual price given to all sorts of mechanics is $1 40 per day.

The prices paid to the workmen, on the whole, are not high. "The times are hard," and the wages of mechanics are now generally high in every part of the Northern States. The prices paid to ordinary mechanics is that State of New York for the two past years is $1 371/2 per day; to first rate workmen $1 50; and to some few of known skill and smartness $1 75; to master workmen, to direct and oversee, $2 per day; and to master builders from $3 to $5 per day. So that by comparison, considering the mechanics at Springfield are generally first rate workmen and respectable citizens, the prices now given appear to be rather under those ordinarily paid to mechanics in this part of the United States.

I obtained a table of prices paid for working each piece, in part, or in whole, as the piece is either worked in part or wholly by the same man; but as it is lengthy, and as it can be obtained at any time of the superintendent if required, I think it not worth while to embrace it in this report. There are a hundred and forty things to be done by the workmen by the piece, and as many prices for doing them.

The plan of having the work done by the piece is, undoubtedly, the best of all possible plans, provided there is a strict attention paid to the inspection of the several parts, before they pass from one workman to another. It gives this advantage, that every man is paid according to his merit; it excites ambition and industry, and brings into operation and usefulness the otherwise dormant powers of the mind. It has a moral, good tendency upon the workmen, and at the same, or a far less price, gives annually to the Government a much greater number of arms. Where it is practicable, this plan is pursued; but there are some kinds of the work that cannot be done by the piece.

General arrangement of workmen to the several branches of business

The general arrangement of the workmen to their work is the best that can be adopted for the United States, but not so for the interest of the workmen; that is, each man is kept at one particular kind of work, and is not shifted. For instance, one man is always kept at forging locks, another at filing them, and so on for the other parts. One man is kept at putting the parts of the lock together, and finishing them; another at drilling them; another at milling the pins; another at slitting the heads; another at polishing the parts of the lock. One is kept grinding barrels; another at turning; another at sighting, and another at breeching them, &c.

By this arrangement, it will readily be perceived that each workman becomes an adept at his part. He works with greater facility, and does the work much better than one could who worked at all the parts. This is undoubtedly the best method for Government. The consequence, however, to the workmen is, that not one of them becomes a finished armorer. If he is always employed at the Government factories, it is no matter for him; he is, in fact, the better for it, for he does more work, and gets more money; but if he wishes to set up business for himself, he has got no trade; he cannot make a fire-arm. . . .

Process and method of executing the work generally

It has already been observed, that each part of the work is done by particular men, and, in addition to the advantages there stated to be derived from this method, it will be proper further to remark, that the great desideratum, uniformity of work, is thus more nearly obtained. To obtain continually from the United States' armories, and from contractors, arms made precisely to one pattern in all the detail of parts, is very desirable; but it is believed that perfection in this subject is not attainable. One thing, I believe, is most clear to all those officers who have turned their attention to this point, that we ought to arrive as near to perfection as time, money, the want of arms, reason, and good sense will allow. To what extent shall we try? and when shall we be satisfied? are, it is thought, the proper questions to be decided. That a few pieces might be made so perfect, that if they were taken to pieces, and the several parts of the locks, the stocks, barrels, and mounting thrown into a pile promiscuously, they might again be put together when the parts should be alternatively changed, is believed, provided each similar part was made by the same man: but if the similar parts were made by different men, which must always by the case where a great number are made even at one factory, it is not believed practicable even to make a small number prefect; and as the parts must be made by different men where the arms are made at different factories, and as the United States have, and will have, different factories employed, it is believed to be impossible to attain universal perfection. Different men have different visions; they do not see alike, and they do not feel alike; and, as the accuracy of parts depends upon the vision and feeling of the workmen, the parts made by them must vary. Admitting that arms to any extent could be made perfectly alike in all their parts, would it be advisable? Being governed in this decision, as we must be, by the before-mentioned considerations, of money, time, want of arms, and reason, it is believed it would not be advisable. Why? Because the muskets would cost at least $30 each, instead of $12 50; and because about three years instead of one would be required to make an equal number of arms; and because the country wants arms as fast as they can be made; and lastly, because, if perfection were attained in the muskets, the real advantage gained in the country would be proportionably very far short of the expense. What is the advantage of having all the similar parts precisely alike? This: that when they are damaged, the several parts that remain good can be put together, and good arms be made out of bad ones. In practice, what parts would be thus put together, if they were perfectly alike? and who would do it? Let us see, and then we can judge of the advantage. Arms damaged in service would be turned over to, or collected by the quartermaster, or some other proper officer of the army. Arms are wanted; new ones cannot be obtained; some officer or soldier of the army would be directed to overhaul the damaged arms in possession of that army, and make out as many good ones as he could. What parts, if damaged, would he, with his skill and tools, replace? If other parts would fit, he can exchange and replace bayonets, ramrods, barrels, stocks, cocks, and whole locks-nothing more. He can never replace the parts of locks or mounting, except hands, which are seldom damaged or lost. Then it follows that locks and mounting must go to the repairing shops to be repaired, if they are all alike. The workmen in the repairing shops are armorers, and have tools. If the parts requiring to be changed want a little altering or filing, they are able to do it, to make them fit; so that, if the parts of the locks and mounting are so nearly alike that the repairer is able to make them fit with his tools, it is all that is required. The following objects, then, only seem necessary to be attained in the manufacture of small arms, viz: that the barrels, stocks, whole locks, cocks, bayonets, and ramrods should each fit every musket; and that the several parts of the locks and mounting should be made so nearly alike, that they could be fitted at the repairing shops. Consequently, when this is attained, we shall have done all we ought to wish for. This is not yet done, but it is believed to be practicable. The most important of the individual objects is to have the bayonets all fit every musket. Bayonets are more likely to get lost or broken than any other parts of the musket, and hence much difficulty has been experienced. This is proved by the result of repairing arms damaged in the last war. Last year I had at this post, Rome, and Vergennes, six thousand stands of repaired arms, in every other way complete but wanting bayonets and ramrods, and only about three thousand wanted the rods. There were probably about thirty thousand stands repaired, and about five hundred stands condemned altogether. From this it appears that about one-fifth of the whole wanted the bayonets, either by loss or not fitting, about one-tenth the rods, and only about one-sixtieth the other parts altogether. This deficiency of bayonets was made up by getting six thousand made at Springfield, and sent to the repairing shops. In this great difficulty was experienced, on account of the different sizes of sockets required. Twelve different sizes of patterns were sent to the forgers, and then each class of sizes had to be altered individually at the repairing shops, to fit the barrels. Hence it appears evident, that the first and most important object in the manufacture of muskets is, to cause all the bayonets to fit the same gun, and all the barrels to fit the same bayonets.

In order to attain this grand object of uniformity of parts, the only method which can accomplish it has been adopted at Springfield, but it requires to be perfected, viz: making each part to fit a standard gauge. The master armorer has a set of standard patterns and gauges. The foremen of shops and branches and inspectors have each a set for the parts formed in their respective shops; and each workman has those that are required for the particular part at which he is at work. These are all made to correspond with the original set, and are tried by them occasionally, in order to discover any variation that may have taken place in using. They are made of hardened steel. The workman makes every similar piece to fit the same gauge, and, consequently, every similar piece must be nearly of the same size and form. If this method is continued, and the closest attention paid to it by the master workmen, inspectors, workmen, and superintendent, the desired object will finally be attained. The method practised at Springfield, of inspecting each part before the parts are put together, or before it goes to another workman, to be put through another process, has a great influence on the workman; it does much towards improving the work generally, and towards obtaining a uniformity of parts, and consequently a uniformity of muskets, and is undoubtedly the best possible method. If a part does not pass inspection, it goes back to the workman, either to be improved, or deducted from his wages. His interest compels him to do it well. It is on account of this method that the arms made at the national armories are, and will be, superior to those made on contract. In the latter case, the arm is finished before inspection, and, if a part is condemned, the whole piece, valued at $13 or $14, is condemned. The inspector cannot, from this cause, avoid feeling a reluctance in condemning the arms he is set to inspect; his feeling will be towards the contractor; and, from a slight neglect in one particular part, he will seldom condemn the musket; and thus he will receive arms, among which, perhaps, there is not one without some defect; whereas, if the same inspector were to inspect the same parts as they were made, he would condemn them, because he would think that the loss would be but trifling, and it would be incurred by the workman, who ought to bear the loss of his own bad work; and if all the parts of a musket were to be condemned in this way, the loss would be divided between, perhaps, a dozen or fifteen men, instead of falling upon one. An inspector is more likely to condemn a trifling thing than a valuable one, for a small defect.

In the method and process of executing the work at Springfield, I have reason to believe, both from inquiry and a comparison of the arms now made with those made before the late war, that great improvements have been made. How much credit is due for this to the superintendent, and how much to the colonel of ordinance, I have not the means of judging; but there is a credit due somewhere.

To give in detail the process of each part of the musket, from the raw material to the finishing shop, would occupy too much room to be embraced in this report. I shall, therefore, not attempt it. I will only observe that, as far as I can judge, the arrangements are good, and, with some intended changes in the shops, cannot probably be bettered. There must necessarily be in such establishments a good deal of passing of parts of muskets from one shop to another; but the whole is accomplished at Springfield by one two-horse team, which passes round to the different shops but twice in each day.

On the subject of uniformity of arms I will make one more remark: that, in order to accomplish this object throughout the Union, it will be necessary to have a set of original patterns and gauges of each and every part of the musket, sealed and kept in the Ordnance Office at Washington, and to cause those of the superintendent of each factory to be sent occasionally to that office, to be compared with them, and fitted anew, if required. This remark will hold good with every thing else in the Union that requires uniformity of construction. Hence, we may, be fair inference, deduce the great importance of the present organization and arrangement of the Ordnance Department to the country. The great advantage of placing the armories under the direction of such a permanent corps and such a head is already felt and acknowledged at Springfield, both by the officers and citizens.