Inspection, ARMS!

Lindsay’s “Double Musket”

By Tim Prince · Originally published March 2018 · pp. 18–19

On October 9, 1860, John Parker Lindsay of New York City received U.S. Patent #30,332 for “improvement in locks for firearms.” The patent covered a unique, superimposed muzzleloading percussion firearms action that combined two hammers, a single trigger and two loads, fired from a single barrel. Lindsay’s patent actually claimed that his “new and useful Improvement in Locks for Fire-Arms” could be applied when “two or more hammers are used.” The primary patent coverage was for the firing mechanism, which combined a single trigger and two (or more) hammers. It is possible that Lindsay developed the concept for his mechanism circa 1859 while working with New York gun maker John Walch, who had patented a double-hammer percussion revolver that utilized superimposed loads to double the number of rounds fired from a percussion revolver.

Lindsay’s mechanism allowed two hammers to be fired sequentially from a single trigger. The auto-selecting single trigger would always release the right hammer first and the left hammer second on two consecutive pulls; not unlike a modern double-barreled sporting shotgun with a single trigger. Using his superimposed chamber concept, with one load on top of the other in the breech, the first hammer would fire the front chamber of the gun, and the second hammer would fire the rear chamber. In 1861, Lindsay relocated from New York City to New Haven, Conn., and began to actively produce and promote his unique firearms. Lindsay initially applied his concept to a series of handguns that he marketed as the “Young America” line. The guns were produced for Lindsay circa 1860-62 by the Union Knife Company of Naugatuck, Conn. Two variations totaling less than

Overall view of a Lindsay M1863 Double Rifle Musket. three hundred guns were manufactured in .41 caliber, and another one hundred were produced in .45 caliber. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Lindsay became intrigued with applying his concept to a .58 rifle musket and obtaining a U.S. military contract. Using the superimposed load concept, in combination with his patented double-hammer/single-trigger system, Lindsay produced a sample musket that ef- A rare Lindsay “Young America” .45 caliber double-hammer/ fectively doubled the firepower single-trigger pistol; only 100 were manufactured during the of the average soldier in combat, early 1860s. (All photos by Tim Prince) as the design could be fired twice before it was reloaded. The design allowed the gun to retain a single barrel, keeping it virtually as light and handy as a standard percussion rifle musket. During the summer of 1863, Lindsay worked in vain to obtain an Ordnance Department contract for his “Double Musket;” however, Chief of Ordnance James Ripley was unimpressed and no orders were forthcoming. This was despite the fact that a trial musket, tested at West Point, had been found quite satisfactory, with Breech of a Lindsay “Young America” .45 caliber pistol showing the reviewing officer noting that, the markings. “In my opinion, the invention is a success.” In September 1863, April 1864, as had been specified and would result in both chamRipley was replaced by General in the contract and Lindsay had to bers detonating simultaneously; George Ramsay, and Lindsay saw request a contract extension. The usually with disastrous results for an opportunity to press his case production issues were resolved, both the musket and the shooter. again. In October, he submitted and the entire order of 1,000 guns The other problem, which was an improved version of the mus- was delivered and accepted on equally disastrous, was that the ket that had been tested at West Aug. 16, 1864. Less than one long flash channel to the forward Point, and managed to obtain a month later, on Sept. 12, 1864, chamber could become fouled, small contract to provide 1,000 of half the muskets were issued for preventing it from discharging. his patented double rifle muskets. field trials. When the second charge was The contact was officially issued Lindsay Double Rifle Muskets fired, with the first charge still in mid-December, with deliveries were issued to the 5th, 16th and blocking the barrel, the results due to commence in April 1864 at 23rd Michigan Volunteer Infan- were often catastrophic. Either a price of $25 each. try regiments, as well as to the problem ensured a bad day for As with his pistol project, Lind- 9th New Hampshire Volunteer the gun and the soldier using it, say had to turn to outside manu- Infantry. The 16th Mich. received and as a result the weapons were factures to actually produce the 166 guns and used them at the universally despised by the men firearms. He appears to have re- battle of Peebles’ Farm, fought they were issued to. Due to the lied upon his old contractor, the as part of the Petersburg Cam- various calamities involving the Union Knife Company, to manu- paign from Sept. 30, through Oct. use of the double musket in the facture the gun’s receiver and me- 2, 1864. The other regiments all field, the guns were fairly quickly chanical action, although some received 83 guns each. Reports condemned and withdrawn from sources think that Lindsay may from both the 16th Mich. and 9th service. have manufactured this compli- New Hampshire, indicate that The U.S. M1863 Lindsay Patcated lock work himself. The some catastrophic failures oc- ent Double Rifle Musket had the guns themselves were produced curred in the field, causing both same basic profile of the U.S. by Samuel Norris of Springfield, injuries and deaths. M1861, M1863, and M1864 rifle Mass. Norris had previously proThe failures of the guns in the muskets then in service. In fact, duced U.S. M1863 Rifle Muskets field were completely under- other than the special lock mechfor the state of Massachusetts, but standable. While the superim- anism and breech, the majority of that contract was at an end and no posed loading concept worked the parts were the same as found further contracts appeared to be fine in theory, it did not work so on U.S. M1863 Rifle Muskets; forthcoming. As such, Norris was well in a combat situation. The this is not surprising, as Norris more than happy to take on pro- system relied upon very careful likely had lots of spare parts from duction of the Lindsay muskets, loading, with the bullet from the his M1863 contract on hand. mating the Lindsay provided re- rearmost charge preventing the The gun was .58 caliber, with a ceivers with the rest of the com- second powder charge from going barrel that measured 41 1/8” in ponents necessary to produce the off when the first chamber was length rather than the usual 40” completed rifle musket. fired. This did not always happen of the M1863 rifle musket. This Due to various delays, the guns (especially when the musket was was due primarily to the longer were not available for delivery in loaded quickly or under duress), superimposed loads. The top of the breech was marked in two lines, reading LINDSAY over PATENT’D OCT. 9. 1860. Due to the nature of the lock mechanism, the walnut stock has no external lock plate on the obverse, but still retained the same silhouette as the M1863 rifle musket. The barrel was secured to the stock with three rounded clamping barrel bands and a screw at the end of the extended breech tang. All metal parts were finished in the white and polished to “National Armory Bright.” Civilian Ordnance Department sub-inspector Andrew D. King inspected all examples of these muskets that I have ever encountered, with a pair of cartouches on the counterpane of the musket. King also sub-inspected the breech and trigger systems of the guns, with the balance of the components carrying various sub-inspector marks from other viewers. The standard U.S. M1861 pattern rear sight was used on the gun and the front sight doubled as a lug to accept the standard U.S. M1855 angular socket bayonet. Sling swivels were attached to the middle barrel band and to the forward bow of the triggerguard. Due to the relatively low production figures, and the fact that some guns actually destroyed themselves in the field, the Lindsay Double Musket is a fairly scarce item on the collector market today. It is also possible that some guns were intentionally destroyed by soldiers in the field to make sure that they would not have to use them in the future. Although Lindsay’s loading concept was a dismal failure, his auto-selecting trigger mechanism lives on and continues to be used in many double-barreled sporting shotguns to this day. Tim Prince is a full-time dealer in fine & collectible military arms from the Colonial Period through WWII. He operates College Hill Arsenal, a web-based antique arms retail site. A long time collector & researcher, Tim has been a contributing author to two major book projects about Civil War era arms including The English Connection and a new book on southern retailer marked and Confederate used shotguns. Tim is also a featured Arms & Militaria appraiser on the PBS Series Antiques Roadshow.

Close up of the action of a Lindsay “Double Musket”, showing the dual hammer, single trigger mechanism.

Counterpane of a Lindsay “Double Musket” showing the pair of A.D. King acceptance cartouches.

Close up of the breech markings on a US M1863 Lindsay Double Rifle Musket.