Tyler Ordnance Works

Name	Street	Town	State	From	To
Tyler Ordnance Works		Tyler	Texas	1863
Tyler Ordnance Works		Little Rock	Arkansas

Patent	Date	Remarks

Contract	for
Texas State Military Board, in 1862	5000 Mississippi Rifles at $35 each. The contract was for .54 caliber whereas the Confederate standard was .577 caliber. Short Briscoe & Co. agreed to comply with the Confederate standard.

Product
Formed when a contract was signed between the Texas State Military Board and the company of Short, Biscoe & Co. on November 5, 1862. Short, Biscoe & Co. made only one rifle in 1863 when the production facilities were taken over by the Confederate. The machinery was later transfered to Little Rock. Intially the Tyler Ordnance Works only repaired guns but in November 1863 100 Tyler Rifles were delivered to the Confederate and 84 in December. The first rifles were made with sporting rifle barrels from Little Rock, Arkansas. In January 1864 130 new Taxas rifles with barrels made at Tyler were delivered. Produced during the Civil War .54 caliber percussion, rifle marked "Hill Rifle/Tyler/Cal. .54", only 423 were made .57 caliber percussion, rifle marked "Texas Rifle/Tyler/Cal. .57", different Types are known of the totally 1193 "long" and 70 "short" rifles made between November 1863 and December 1864. Type I Barrel length 32 3/16" fixed to the stock by a tang screw and two barrel bands, the rear barrel band was marked U.S. Model 1841 and made of iron, overall length 48", English Pattern 1853 musket lock which was secured to the stock by a single bold and screwed into the plate at the rear of the mainspring upper arm support, iron sight. Type II As the Type I Model but the fore-stock extended to within seven inches of the muzzle, the rear sight was an iron blade, fixed 6 3/4" forward of the breech. Type III This type has only an overall length of 45 1/2" and a barrel of 30 7/16", probably made for cavalry use. Type IV Also known as Tyler Texas Patent Breech Rifle, over all lenght 43 1/4" and with a 28" barrel which was hold similar to the Type I. Manufacturing began in July 1864. About 70 "short" and 7 "long" patent breech rifles were made in July and August. The remaining samples of this model were mixed among the 180 Texas Rifles made in November and December 1864. ? Texas Enfield Rifle, 506 are reported ? Texas Austrian Rifle, 56 seems being made During the Civil War the Tyler Ordnance Works or Confederate States Ordnance Works at Tyler is believed having made about 2233 rifles, repaired thousand of guns, produced millions of rounds of small arms and cannon cartridges. They employed about 200 hands.

Product

Formed when a contract was signed between the Texas State Military Board and the company of Short, Biscoe & Co. on November 5, 1862.

Short, Biscoe & Co. made only one rifle in 1863 when the production facilities were taken over by the Confederate. The machinery was later transfered to Little Rock.

Intially the Tyler Ordnance Works only repaired guns but in November 1863 100 Tyler Rifles were delivered to the Confederate and 84 in December. The first rifles were made with sporting rifle barrels from Little Rock, Arkansas. In January 1864 130 new Taxas rifles with barrels made at Tyler were delivered.

Produced during the Civil War

.54 caliber percussion, rifle marked "Hill Rifle/Tyler/Cal. .54", only 423 were made

.57 caliber percussion, rifle marked "Texas Rifle/Tyler/Cal. .57", different Types are known of the totally 1193 "long" and 70 "short" rifles made between November 1863 and December 1864.

Type I

Barrel length 32 3/16" fixed to the stock by a tang screw and two barrel bands, the rear barrel band was marked U.S. Model 1841 and made of iron, overall length 48", English Pattern 1853 musket lock which was secured to the stock by a single bold and screwed into the plate at the rear of the mainspring upper arm support, iron sight.

Type II

As the Type I Model but the fore-stock extended to within seven inches of the muzzle, the rear sight was an iron blade, fixed 6 3/4" forward of the breech.

Type III

This type has only an overall length of 45 1/2" and a barrel of 30 7/16", probably made for cavalry use.

Type IV

Also known as Tyler Texas Patent Breech Rifle, over all lenght 43 1/4" and with a 28" barrel which was hold similar to the Type I. Manufacturing began in July 1864. About 70 "short" and 7 "long" patent breech rifles were made in July and August. The remaining samples of this model were mixed among the 180 Texas Rifles made in November and December 1864.

? Texas Enfield Rifle, 506 are reported

? Texas Austrian Rifle, 56 seems being made

During the Civil War the Tyler Ordnance Works or Confederate States Ordnance Works at Tyler is believed having made about 2233 rifles, repaired thousand of guns, produced millions of rounds of small arms and cannon cartridges. They employed about 200 hands.