This video is about the history of Hiram Berdan's innovative conversion system and cartridge not accepted by the United States government following the conclusion of the American Civil War. With new developments in weaponry by Lee's surrender at Appomattox, the rifled-muskets that the government had on-hand became obsolete. In the post-war era the United States government solicited designs to convert longarms it possessed to breechloaders. Whereas prior arms races were centered on the ever improving muzzleloading arms that nations fielded, this was the first arms race centered around the use of arms capable of chambering self-contained centerfire metallic-cartridges.
Berdan and Erskine Allin submitted modified versions of their forward hinged-breech block designs to the Ordnance Department for consideration of being adopted. Allin's design borrowed from Berdan's and other designs, and rechambered to 50 caliber, rather than war-vintage 58 caliber. In the end political connections lead to Allin's design being adopted.
Not deterred by failing to win the US government’s contract to convert rifled-muskets it possessed, Berdan sold his conversion system, and the .58 Musket, abroad to foreign powers that were also in the process of converting their arms. His system would serve as the quick solution to convert rifled-muskets to breechloading longarms chambered for a metallic-cartridge. As more nations switched to purpose built repeating arms, Berdan's breechloading conversion system became obsolete by the end of the 1870's. The 58 musket cartridge would then continue to live on up to 1900 in already converted longarms, as the cartridge was never chambered in purpose built repeating longarms.
I hope that you enjoy this short presentation. This is the second video that I have put together in this new venture from my usual historical analyses of longarm development. As a collector of American military longarms I also collect metallic-cartridges. Since I have more of examples of these items I plan on releasing more short, informative, videos on the History of Cartridges.