Foundation of a Firearm

Foundation of a Firearm. Springfield Armory National Historic Site. , For well over a century, large stacks of black walnut were stockpiled to air dry in the cavernous Long Storehouse. This wood was used as gunstocks throughout the Springfield Armory's history, from the earliest flintlocks in 1795 to the M14 rifle in the 1960s., The Army set strict guidelines to ensure that only the best wood was used in the Armory's weapons. Workers actively managed the supply in the 798-foot-long building to ensure that only fully "seasoned" wood would be shaped into gunstocks on the Armory's lathes., Over the years, sections of the Long Storehouse were put to other uses., [Captions:] , 1964 - 1968: X-ray lab to inspect weapons for microscopic defects., Today: Springfield Technical Community College's Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons., 1960 - 1968: cryptography unit sent and received coded messages., 1840s-1918: stables for the Armory's work horses., Wood blanks had to be seasoned so they would not warp or crack when worked. It took anywhere from two to eight years to season the black walnut.