ARMJ, UNITED STATES. 



complete sets of accoutrements for infantry and 

 cavalry. 539,544 complete sets of cavalry-horse 

 equipments, 28,164 sets of horse-artillery har- 

 ness, 1,022,176,474 cartridges for small-arms, 

 1,220,555,435 percussion caps, 2,862,177 rounds 

 of fixed artillery ammunition, 14,507,682 can- 

 non primers and fuses, 12,875,294 pounds of ar- 

 tillery projectiles, 26,440,054 pounds of gun- 

 powder, 6,395,152 pounds of nitre, and 90,416,- 

 295 pounds of lead. In addition to these, there 

 were immense quantities of parts provided for 

 repairing and making good articles damaged, 

 lost, or destroyed in the service. The fiscal re- 

 sources of the Ordnance Bureau for the year 

 amounted to $35,301,062.56, and the expendi- 

 tures to $16,551,677.58, leaving a balance of 

 $18,749,385.18, of which $18,043,804.28 were 

 undrawn balances in the Treasury, and $705,- 

 580.90 were to the credit of disbursing officers 

 in the Government depositories on June 30, 1866. 

 The estimated appropriation required by the 

 Ordnance Office, including only such objects as 

 require early attention, is $1,593,242. 



The experience acquired in the late war with 

 respect to the most available pattern of small- 

 arms, applicable for general use in the Army, 

 was wholly in favor of breech-loading arms, as 

 opposed to the old muzzle-loaders ; and early 

 in 1866 a board of officers was appointed to 

 examine the following questions, and make 

 recommendations thereon : 



1. What form and calibre of breech-loading arm 

 should be adopted as a model for future construction 

 of muskets for infantry ? 



2. What form and calibre should be adopted as a 

 model for future construction of carbines for cav- 

 alry? 



8. What form of breech-loading arm should be 

 adopted as a model for changes of muskets already 

 constructed to breech-loading muskets ? 



The board met on March 10th, and, during 

 the next two months and a half, carefully tested 

 over sixty different rifles and muskets, no one 

 of which, it was decided, ought to be recom- 

 mended for adoption by the Government. This 

 conclusion was arrived at chiefly in view of the 

 large number of excellent muzzle-loading mus- 

 kets already in store, and of the comparatively 

 slight changes necessary to transform these into 

 effective breech-loaders. The plan of alteration 

 submitted by Colonel H. Berdan was therefore 

 recommended. This gives the stable breech- 

 pin, secures the piece against premature dis- 

 charge, and involves only a slight change of our 

 present pattern of arms. The change of ma- 

 chinery necessary to make new arms on this 

 plan is also so slight, that the board is of opin- 

 ion that there can be no justification of an en- 

 tire change of model, and the great expense 

 thereby entailed, until some further improve- 

 ment shall be devised, producing more decided 

 advantages than any of the arms yet presented. 

 They also find that the 45-inch-calibre ball has 

 given the best results as to accuracy, penetra- 

 tion,, and range, and recommend that all rifle- 

 rnuskets and single-loading carbines used in 

 military service, be fitted for the same cartridge. 



The board is disposed to arm the cavalry with 

 the magazine carbine ; but as this arm is doubt- 

 less capable of further improvements, delay 13 

 recommended in adopting definitively any pat- 

 tern for future construction. Should new car- 

 bines be previously needed, it is recommended 

 that the Spencer carbine be used. General Dyer, 

 Chief of Ordnance, through whom the report 

 of the board was directed to be made, objected 

 to the use of the 45 -inch-calibre balls, on the 

 ground that they had not been proved superior 

 to those of 50-inch calibre, and that the Army is 

 already furnished with a large number of the 

 latter. He also recommended that the different 

 plans for the alteration of the Springfield mus- 

 ket should first be tried in the hands of troops. 

 In forwarding the report to the War Depart- 

 ment, General Grant indorsed his first recom- 

 mendation, but not his second. The conversion 

 of the old Springfield muskets into breech-load- 

 ers, proposed by the board, was approved by 

 the Department, and orders were at once given 

 for the preparation of the necessary machinery. 

 The work proceeded so rapidly, that at the close 

 of the year enough breech-loaders were on hand 

 to supply the cavalry and mounted and light 

 infantry. As an offensive arm, this altered 

 musket is much better in all respects than 

 the much-vaunted Prussian needle-gun, whose 

 achievements have inaugurated so remarkable 

 a change in modern warfare. In the Spring- 

 field armory two sets of workmen, alternating 

 day and night, as during the war, are now em- 

 ployed in altering the old muskets to breech- 

 loaders. 



During 1866, the power and endurance of the 

 8-inch and 12-inch cast-iron rifle-cannon have 

 also been subjected to practical tests, and the 

 experiments will be continued. The ordnance 

 returns for three consecutive years, including 

 a period of active service and ordinary repairs, 

 show an average duration of five years for cav- 

 alry carbines, of four years- for cavalry pistols, 

 sabres, and accoutrements, of seven years for 

 infantry muskets, and of six years for infantry 

 accoutrements. 



During the last five years considerable 

 changes have been made and are still making 

 in the armament of the permanent defensive 

 works of the country, by substituting cannon 

 of larger calibre and wrought-iron carriages for 

 the lighter guns and wooden gun-carriages 

 formerly in use. Construction has been sus- 

 pended upon some of the. unfinished works, 

 pending the completion of experiments having 

 in view the use of iron shields or armor for the 

 protection of guns and gunners. 



Finally, in view of any possible emergency, 

 the Secretary of War reports that the " stock 

 of clothing, equipage, quartermaster, subsist- 

 ence, hospital, and ordnance stores, arms, am- 

 munition, and field artillery is sufficient for the 

 immediate equipment of large armies. The 

 disbanded troops stand ready to respond to the 

 national call, and, with our vast means of trans- 

 portation and rapid organization developed dur. 



