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Frank Wesson rifles were a series of single-shot rifles manufactured between 1859 and 1888 in Worcester, Massachusetts. They were purchased by many state governments during the American Civil War, including Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio.〔Flayderman, N. (2007). Flayderman's guide to antique American firearms-- and their values (9th ed.). Iola, WI: Gun Digest. p. 264〕〔John Walter, Rifles of the World, p. 516, 2006〕 They were one of the first rifles to use rimfire metallic cartridges. The rifles were initially made in .22, .32, .38, and .44 rimfire. Centerfire cartridges were added later, and some rifles were capable of firing rimfire or centerfire cartridges, by altering an adjustment on the hammer. == History of the rifle == By 1859, there were a number of single-shot breech-loading rifles available to the American military and public. These included the Sharps rifle (1848), the Smith carbine (1857), and others. Those most suitable for military use were loaded through the breech, but required a separate percussion cap to ignite the cartridge. Copper rimfire cartridges which contained their own primer were introduced just prior to the American Civil War. Only a few manufacturers came out with guns which could use this ammunition, principally the Henry repeating rifle (cartridge introduced in 1860) and Spencer repeating rifle, but also the Maynard carbine, Frank Wesson and Ballard rifles. The .44 caliber Frank Wesson and Ballard rifles could use the same cartridge as each other, and these cartridges were very close in size to the .44 Henry rimfire. The Frank Wesson rifle was the first breech-loading rifle designed for these metallic cartridges.〔American Artisan and Illustrated Journal of Popular Science, Nov 28, 1866, p. 52,53〕 Frank Wesson (1828-1899) and N.S. Harrington were granted patent 25,926, 'Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms' in 1859,〔http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=0025926.PN.&OS=PN/0025926&RS=PN/0025926〕 and Frank Wesson was granted patent 36,925, 'Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms'〔http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=0036925.PN.&OS=PN/0036925&RS=PN/0036925〕 in 1862. The 1862 patent added the use of a slotted link to stop the barrel from pivoting too far, which made the gun much easier and quicker to load. The carbine with a 24 inch barrel weighed only 6 pounds, low weight being desirable in a weapon to be carried by cavalry. The 28 and 34 inch barrel models weighing 7 and 8 pounds respectively.〔D. Appleton and Company (1865). The American Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1864: Volume 4. New York. p. 639〕 By 1866, twenty thousand Frank Wesson rifles had been made, of which 8,000 were military.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Frank Wesson Rifles」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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