Frank Wesson Rifle

History of the Frank Wesson Rifle

By the time of the American Civil War (1961-1865), firearms had reached a stage that more closely mirrored contemporary service rifles. Butt loading is becoming more common, as are barrel-loaded rifles.

Independent metal cartridges have also seen their own development, helping guns do away with established percussion operating systems. This, in turn, helps reduce load/reload times significantly.

Frank Wesson (1828-1899) - brother of Daniel Wesson of Smith & Wesson - ran his own small arms workshop in Worcester, Massachusetts, and contributed mainly to civilian market models before the war. In 1859 he patented an improved breech-loading firearm for N. S. Harrington.

Soon after, the Frank Wesson Rifle was born.

This weapon is in . 22, . 32. 38 and . 44. They are extraordinary weapons as they became the first rifles to use only metal rim fire cartridges. The breech action has a "tilt" design for quick access to the chamber for reloading. This resulted in the gunman firing nearly ten rounds per minute.

Since the metal cartridge is self-contained, there is no need to carry additional gunpowder, bullets or primer. In addition, the self-contained cartridge better protects the contents of the cartridge from the environmental factors that plagued previous flintlock and ball powder guns.

Both Frank Wesson rifles and carbines were used in the Civil War. They are more readily available in the North, which also has the ability to create the required edge-fire ammunition, but are known to be smuggled to the South in various ways.

By the mid-1870s, approximately 44,000 Frank Wesson guns were made. Another patent in 1862 was awarded to Wesson and described improvements to the breech loading system.

Frank Wesson's standard long gun weighed 8.5 pounds, while the shortened carbine model weighed 6 pounds overall. With an overall length of 43 inches, the long gun version has a 34 inch long barrel (hexagonal) and the rear of the carbine is a 24 inch barrel. The gun fires a single round with a dual trigger mechanism - the front trigger controls the braking action and the rear trigger is used to actually fire.

During production, the frame appeared in brass and iron finishes.

Iron sights provide the shooter with some range accuracy, and military sights are known to aim at distances of 100, 250, and 500 yards. Effective range is 200 yards, while the stated maximum range is 500 yards (albeit with reduced accuracy and penetration).

The bullet has a muzzle velocity of 1,000 feet per second.

As many as 4,000 Frank Wesson guns are thought to have served in the bloody American conflict when they were chosen by government arsenals, state militias and even private buyers. These guns were used at the famous Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 and proved popular throughout the war.

The carbine model was especially popular with cavalry, who could use it with relative ease on horseback and load/reload at high speed. The weapon retains its lethality when the rider is dismounted, and can still be used as an effective mace in close combat.

A well-known disadvantage of Frank Wesson's early rifles and carbines was that hot spent cartridges in the breech tended to expand beyond what was necessary - resulting in difficult extraction requiring a finger or pushrod. Also, these guns were hugely popular and proved accurate with some very striking displays.

The Frank Wesson series continued production after the war ended in 1865. In addition to normal postwar production, the civilian market was a useful recipient of wartime surpluses during postwar military retreats. The line was used on a military level and sold to civilians until the 1880s.

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