the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield, which was the first armory in the United States, at least as early as 1799. Earlier versions prior to this date probably were produced but were not dated. Starting in 1801, possibly as early as 1800, it was also produced in the then new United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Several differences between the Springfield Model 1795 and the Harpers Ferry Model 1795 have led many to label the Harpers Ferry version as a significantly different model. Quite a few independent contractors also made the weapon as they were in constant demand. The federal armories simply could not make enough muskets to meet demand with the labor force they had during these early years. Only about two dozen artisans worked in the Harpers Ferry arsenal around 1800, and making the muskets from raw materials was a very labor-intensive task. Approximately 80,000 Springfield Model 1795 muskets were produced while about 70,000 were produced at Harpers Ferry. Service history Model 1795s were used throughout the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War of 1846–48, and the American Civil War of 1861–65. Most were converted to percussion caps either at the armories or by private individuals, but records reflect that many in the South were issued an original flintlock at the beginning of the Civil War until the Confederates could convert them to percussion. There is some evidence that some were in fact never converted at all from flintlock. The effective service life of the Model 1795 thus extends through 1865. The Model 1795 was also used by some members of the Lewis and Clark expedition. See also Springfield musket References External links Springfield firearms Muskets American Civil War weapons Weapons of the Confederate States of America