Part of Captain Metcalfe's 1876 Centennial Display Report

[butlersrangers]

Lt. Henry Metcalfe was given the responsibility of setting up the Ordnance Department display at the 1876 Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia.
He also authored the official follow-up report required by the Government.
Attached are copies of the pages describing the 'Trap-Door' Springfield rifle models that were in the War Department display. (Sorry, they did not copy very clearly).

IMG_9088.jpgIMG_9087.jpgIMG_9089.jpgIMG_9090.jpgIMG_9091.jpg

[Dick Hosmer]

Chuck. can you email individual images to me? thanks!

[Tom Trevor]

Did you get this from the book " United States International Exhibition 1876' Executive Department V-1 War department? How did you like the fact that the original 405 grain bullet was to be minor base dish with 5 lube grooves that were square. Then they would not reliably exit the automatic swedge then they changed to bigger dish three lube grooves. Picture of it in the Berkley Lewis book page 67.

[45govt]

My copy of the Metcalfe's report is in "House Miscellaneous 2d Session 47th Congress 1882-1883 Vol. 4-Part 2" with a sub head of "US Executive Depts. Vol. 1 War Department" and runs right at 1000 pages.
Not sure why 1882-83 but is complete going through the different departments.

Don

[Tkacook]

The 1109 page book is available for free from Google Books. It's called International Exhibition, 1876. Here is a link:
https://books.googleusercontent.com/...zXAuhd0jiyj3fw

I downloaded it and the pages above are in it.

[butlersrangers]

Thank you 'Tkacook' for posting the convenient link.

Lt. Metcalfe's Ordnance report runs from Page 649 to page 963.

The description of Small Arms, that were in the 1876-War Department display, are located between page 698 and page 732.

The 'Trapdoor' Springfield descriptions are located on pages 719-721.

One of the more interesting tidbits is Lt. Metcalfe's statement about his wooden (cartridge) holders: "The block is intended to be thrown away as soon as its contents are exhausted". (Page 721)

Attached are a couple of images I recently ran across of Metcalfe device:

metcalfe in use.jpgmetcalfe magazine 1875.jpg

[Dick Hosmer]

xP1010083.jpgHere's mine, 61529.

[butlersrangers]

Tis a lovely thing Richard!

FWIW - I'd suggest you keep the wood block, after you shoot-off those 8 rounds.

[Dick Hosmer]

All matching/NHS/early crimp - I don't THINK so!!!!

I have the cap/box top - block had been opened when I got it, but have every reason to believe they are the original rounds - there are faint stain rings on all eight rounds.