Working for Perfection

Working for Perfection. Springfield Armory National Historic Site. , During the 19th century, the Master Armorer played one of the most important roles at the Springfield Armory. He oversaw quality control measures and implemented innovative manufacturing techniques needed for the mass production of standardized weapons. Three Master Armorers stand out for their unique contributions to the armory.,

"A Master Armorer should not only be a good mechanic but intelligent, inflexible, possessed of independence of mind, of reputable character and dignified department of struct integrity scrupulously faithful to the trust imposed on him…" , Roswell Lee, Superintendent, 1815-1833

, [Captions:] , Thomas Warner 1837 - 1842 , Warner implemented the process of interchangeable manufacture at Springfield Armory. He oversaw the development of new machinery and instituted new procedures that laid the groundwork for precision production in the future., Erskine S. Allin 1848 - 1879 , Allin spearheaded the Armory's effort during the Civil War. Later, he designed a system to convert muzzle-loaders into quicker breech-loading rifles through an ingenious addition of a "trap door.", Samuel W. Porter 1879 - 1894 , The last Master Armorer, Porter supervised the design of weapons of smokeless powder, a powerful propellant that changed the face of warfare forever., The drive to mass produce weapons with interchangeable parts culminated during the height of the Civil War, when the Armory , using standards and practices laid out by Master Armorers , produced about 1,100 finished weapons a day.